Victim Location 77062
Total money lost $7,700
Type of a scam Tech Support
AOL provided phone number when my wife complained about slow email service.in March of 2018. I contacted the number and was convinced to give control of my desk top to person on phone. I agreed to pay $649.99 by check for sw cleanup and one year of sw support. I have the cancelled check dated 3-23-2018. I started receiving robo calls from 844-386-8584 in October of 2018. I finally responded on Saturday, November 17th. I was told by Derrick Jones that due to government regulations the $649.99 amount would be returned to my bank account if I entered that amount into a program provided by Mr. Jones on my desk top computer. I entered that amount, but I was told I had entered $6499.90 and that amount was now in my bank account. Mr.Jones showed me a computer screen that appeared to bear that out. He warned that I would be in serious trouble if I did not send him via gift cards the $6499.90 amount. He directed me to a local mall where he further directed me to purchase three $1900 Apple gift cards. I did so. Then by phone he had me give him the numbers on the backs of the cards. I paid $5700 total at that point. Later he called me back and said that the transactions at the Apple store had not gone through and I still owed the full amount. The next day while travelling I received a call from Mr. Jones. He instructed me to stop at a Walmart store on my route and buy five $400 gift cards. I did so and gave Mr. Jones the numbers on the cards. So I paid him a total of $7700. I finally realized I had been scammed and had no more phone conversations with Mr. Jones. Over the next several months I received several threatening phone messages, which I Ignored. One call even claimed to be the IRS.