HARTSELLE, Ala. (WHNT) — Curtis and Carolyn Lemaster lost the savings they built over 62 years of marriage to one phone call.
"I could've kicked my own butt really, because I had realized then what had happened. And they got all my money," Curtis said.
When Curtis turned his laptop on Friday morning, he received a pop-up message that said he needed to call Windows. That message provided an 833 area code, saying it was the phone number for Windows customer support. Thinking his laptop needed to be fixed, he called the number.
"It said don't turn your computer off, call Windows," Curtis said.
The person on the line then told Curtis that they had hacked his computer and placed obscene, illegal materials on it. If he did not comply with their requests, they told him the police would arrest