By SUE SUCHYTA
Times-Herald Newspapers
HEIGHTS — A 77-year-old Dearborn Heights man learned Feb. 8 that a person posing as a Microsoft agent tricked him into sending $15,000 in cash to correct an online banking error allegedly in his favor.
The man said he received an email alerting him to a fraudulent charge of $451.98 against one of his accounts. When he called the phone number provided in the email, the caller agreed to help him, then said that he mistakenly credited his account for $45,198 by mistake, and encouraged him to send three $15,000 payments to him in cash to correct the mistake.
The fraudster told him to tell his bank that he wanted the cash to make home improvements. He also told the man to ship the cash with books, and wrap the entire package in aluminum foil.
After the first shipment of money was received by the fraudster, he directed the man to send two more shipments of cash. However, the man became suspicious, and went to the police station, where an officer explained the con and told him not to send any more money, and to contact his financial institution to secure his banking account information.