Bismarck Woman Scammed Out Of Thousands Online

When it comes to the world wide web, we have to be cautious at all times. You never know when you could be the victim of an online scammer. Unfortunately, there are people who don't realize they're being scammed until it's too late.

There was a recent scamming incident that happened right here in Bismarck. An elderly member of our community fell victim to an internet scam and lost a lot of money. The 74-year-old woman lost $6,000 to what she thought was a legitimate business helpline.

According to KFYR, police say that the woman had several pop-up windows on her computer, all claiming that a Microsoft helpline was reaching out because of a supposed "issue" that needed fixing. The popups listed a number to call to resolve the problem.

The woman decided to call the number. She was then instructed to purchase several gift cards for the amount of $500 each. The gift cards, which were supposedly for stores around Bismarck, were then sent to the scammer for payment.

Police are warning a reputable business will never ask for gift cards as payment.