A North Fort Myers Florida man almost fell victim to a fake Microsoft scam, and shares his experience with WINK News. Find out the alarming scare tactics that scammers are using to scare innocent victims into handing over their money.
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| Steve Seifert; credit: WINK News |
WINK News reporter Ryan Kruger reported that Florida residents lost about 1.5 billion dollars to online scams in 2025, according to the FBI. Cyber crooks are using fake and malicious websites and pop-ups to fool victims into thinking they have committed a crime before asking for money.
Ryan Kruger reported that 3,000 people fell victim to scams every day in the U.S. in 2025, with Florida having the 3rd highest losses after (#2) Texas and (#1) California.
A Florida Man Receives a Pop-up Warning on his Computer
Local Fort Myers resident Steve Seifert told WINK News that he was online when he suddenly received a pop-up on his computer, with a warning that got his attention.
The fake Microsoft warning read:
"Microsoft has observed an illegal function on your computer. Call Microsoft Help to get it taken care of" with a phone number that would seemingly connect Seifert to Microsoft technical support.
Once on the phone, Seifert said that the scammer at the phone number informed him that "his credit cards had been used to try to buy illegal material online and that he also tried to place bets."
Seifert was concerned about the allegations, so he was listening carefully to what the person was telling him. He continued to listen to the scammer until the person switched topics and started to ask him about his bank account information. At that point, Seifert realized that he was dealing with a scammer, and at that point, he hung up the phone.
First, Steve Siefert tried to contact the FBI, but could not reach them.
Steve then calls WINK News to report what had happened so others can be aware of the scare tactics scammers are using. He also shared with WINK News reporter Ryan Kruger that one of his neighbors lost more than $2,000 to the same type of scam.
Seifert says, "I know better, and they almost caught me."
Ryan Kruger reminds the public that if anyone calls you claiming to be from the government or a financial institution, get off the phone, look up the legitimate number for the institution, and call the trusted number to make sure you aren't talking to a scammer.
YouTube Video: "North Fort Myers man nearly fell victim to growing scam flagged by FBI"
Comment on YouTube Video
User @ShamegaJ wrote the following comments in response to the WINK News video:
"These are criminals targeting people. Sometimes, they have lists of vulnerable people, scripts of what to say, and surveillance equipment to make this scam seem real. They are gangstalkers who are organized. They use these tactics to get money and status."
