On July 31, 2023, I encountered a pop-up on my computer screen, allegedly from Microsoft, warning me of malware. It directed me to contact the “Microsoft Security Line” at 866-527-3625 for assistance in cleaning my computer. The representatives claimed my computer was hacked, filled with malware, and that they had been tracking my activities for several months. Subsequently, I received a call from a person named David Lee, who falsely claimed to be from the Bank of America Fraud unit, informing me that my account was compromised and $21,000 had been used to purchase Bitcoin.

David Lee instructed me to create a “duplicate purchase” by withdrawing $21,000 in cash to buy Bitcoin. He guided me to withdraw $11,000 from a Bank of America branch in Monterey Park and $10,000 from another in Hacienda Heights, California, specifically advising against the South Pasadena branch due to insufficient cash. He then directed me to Los Compadres Liquor Store in City of Industry, California, to purchase Bitcoin with the total sum.

He promised to call the next day to restore my funds and set up a “secure wallet” for the Bitcoin. He also warned me not to disclose this situation to anyone, including my wife, and provided an access phone number (704-746-2519). On August 1, 2023, David Lee claimed that the initial $21,000 in Bitcoin was refunded to my savings account. To further “secure” my account, he instructed me to withdraw the remaining $18,000, which I did from a Bank of America in San Marino, CA.

David Lee promised that my savings account would be restored to $48,000 by August 2, 2023, but he never called back, and the provided number was out of service. When I contacted Bank of America, they confirmed it was a scam and that they had not contacted me about any suspicious activities in my account. Since the withdrawals were made by me, the bank stated that I had no recourse to recover the $48,000. The actual fraud department at Bank of America filed a claim (claim # TRMS202308006438) on my behalf. I also filed a police report with the Alhambra Police Department and reported the incident to the FBI, who advised me to file a report with The Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The FTC provided me with a report number.