The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Connecticut has successfully returned approximately $328,573 to a victim of a computer support scam. This announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England.
Computer support scams involve fraudulent alerts on victims' computers that mimic legitimate customer support messages, tricking individuals into contacting scammers who then gain remote access to their systems. In this case, an elderly woman fell victim to such a scheme in February 2024, believing she was dealing with Microsoft customer support. She transferred about $550,000 to the scammers through two wire transfers.
The incident was reported promptly by the victim and her family to the Simsbury Police Department. The police collaborated with HSI to investigate the crime. As a result, one wire transfer amounting to $221,000 was reversed by the bank and returned to the victim. HSI managed to trace and seize approximately $328,573 of the remaining funds.
To facilitate the return of these funds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil asset forfeiture action and worked with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS). The funds were returned on February 4, 2025.
Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman emphasized their commitment: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to helping victims of crime, and civil asset forfeiture is a powerful tool that allows the government to return money to victims of fraud schemes.” He highlighted that it is crucial for victims of online scams to report incidents promptly so authorities can assist effectively.
HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Krol noted: “Cyber scams run by foreign malign actors are becoming more common and more sophisticated every day.” He stressed that quick reporting led to recovering most of the stolen money in this case.
Victims are advised to contact their banks immediately if they suspect they have been scammed and file complaints with local law enforcement as well as with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David C. Nelson is prosecuting this case.