A 73-year-old Michigan woman likely lost $42,000 after scammers impersonating Microsoft and the Federal Reserve claimed that money from her bank account had been connected to a child pornography website.
The operation began with a computer pop-up and an email directing the Traverse City resident to call a supposed Microsoft support number.
During a series of calls, the scammers persuaded her to spend $6,000 on gift cards and wire another $36,000 to an account she believed belonged to the Federal Reserve.
The Pop-Up Directed Her to a Fake Microsoft Number
The Traverse City Police Department is investigating a scam that has likely cost a 73-year-old woman $42,000.
On July 27 the woman who lives in the 1200 block of the Lake Ridge Circle reported that she received a pop-up message and an email from “Microsoft” advising her to call…
— UpNorthLive News (@upnorthlive) July 31, 2026
The woman encountered the pop-up and email on July 27, according to UpNorthLive. Both communications appeared to come from Microsoft and instructed her to call a displayed telephone number. She spoke with one man and was later directed to call a second number, where another man continued the story.
The callers said the woman’s IP address had been traced and that $42,000 from her bank account had been applied to a child pornography website. Police did not report that any such transaction had occurred. The callers instructed the woman to visit Lowe’s and purchase gift cards. She followed those directions and spent $6,000.
After purchasing the gift cards, the woman went to her bank and initiated a $36,000 wire transfer. She believed the receiving account belonged to the Federal Reserve. Combined with the gift-card purchases, the wire brought the amount sent to exactly $42,000, the same figure the callers had claimed was connected to the illegal website.
No Arrest or Recovered Money Has Been Announced
The Traverse City Police Department is investigating the incident. Authorities have not identified the people who made the calls, the financial institution that received the wire or the account holder connected to it.
The incident can be reported through the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
The final loss remains dependent on the attempted wire recall and any effort to freeze the gift-card balances. No recovered amount had been announced.
A Wire Recall Must Begin Immediately
No real business or government agency requires gift cards as payment. Microsoft specifically warns that it will never ask someone to pay for technical support through gift cards or cryptocurrency.
The Federal Trade Commission advises victims to contact the company that issued each card immediately, report that it was used in a scam and ask whether the remaining balance can be frozen or refunded.
A victim should contact the bank’s fraud or wire-transfer department immediately and request a recall. The bank will need the transfer date, amount, receiving institution, account information and any reference or confirmation number.
The Federal Reserve says it never contacts members of the public through unsolicited calls or emails asking for money or personal financial information.