A computer pop-up disguised as an Apple support alert allegedly led a woman in Key Biscayne, Florida, to withdraw $20,000, place the cash in a box, and send it by Uber courier to a gas station.
The woman reported the case Jan. 29 after the alert appeared on her computer and warned that her identity and personal information had been compromised, according to Local 10. Police said she called the number shown in the pop-up and was later transferred to someone claiming to be a bank security agent.
Through what investigators described as false representations, the caller convinced her to withdraw the cash and send it to a Mobil gas station on Crandon Boulevard. Police said surveillance video later showed Wilmer Vasquez, 34, receiving the box containing the $20,000.
More than four months later, Miami police arrested Vasquez in downtown Miami after a National Crime Information Center felony vehicle alert led officers to him along Northwest North River Drive near Fifth Street, according to the arrest report cited by Local 10.
The Pop-Up Looked Like an Apple Support Alert
Police: Fraudster arrested in downtown Miami after woman falls for scam in Key Biscayne https://t.co/XxY8ZBlurT
— WPLG Local 10 News (@WPLGLocal10) June 11, 2026
According to the arrest report quoted by Local 10, an unknown person accessed the woman’s computer “by means not yet determined and without authorization” and caused a pop-up message to appear on the screen. The message was disguised as an Apple support notification and claimed the woman’s identity and personal information had been compromised.
The report said the woman called the phone number in the alert. The conversation then moved from a fake Apple warning to a supposed bank-security problem, with the caller telling her she needed to move money.
The Cash Was Sent by Uber Courier to a Gas Station
Police said the woman was induced to withdraw $20,000 in cash. She placed the money in a box and gave it to an Uber courier for delivery to the Mobil gas station on Crandon Boulevard in Key Biscayne.
The arrest report described Uber as the courier service used to deliver the package; it did not accuse the company or the courier of participating in the fraud.
Surveillance Video Showed the Pickup, Police Say
Investigators said surveillance video from the case showed Vasquez receiving the box containing the $20,000 from the Uber courier. The arrest report said he then left the area with the proceeds, according to Local 10.
Police later found Vasquez sitting inside the vehicle involved in the fraud, the report said. Local 10 reported that he was also known as Wilmer Vasqueztribuiani.
Vasquez Was Arrested Months Later
Miami police arrested Vasquez at about 10 p.m. Wednesday along Northwest North River Drive near Fifth Street. Local 10 reported that Miami-Dade corrections booked him shortly before 2 a.m. Thursday at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Vasquez faced four charges: organized fraud of $20,000 or more, offenses against users of computers, unlawful use of a communications device, and second-degree grand theft of less than $100,000.
The charges are allegations. No conviction was reported in the sources reviewed.
Pop-Up Scams Often Push Victims to Call a Fake Number
The FBI warns that tech-support scams can begin with pop-up windows telling people to call a support number. The agency says scammers may pose as representatives from companies, financial institutions, utility companies, cryptocurrency exchanges, or other trusted services.
Anyone who sees a pop-up claiming an account, identity, or device has been compromised should avoid the number in the alert and contact the company or bank through an official app, website, card number, or verified branch number.