MENDOCINO CO., 5/11/26 — Detectives with the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office are investigating an alleged fraud targeting elderly victims in Willits and warning others about the scam, the office said Monday.
On Friday at about 11:45 p.m., deputies were sent to an address in the Brooktrails area about a possible fraud involving the transfer of approximately $100,000. The victims said their electronic devices had been compromised and that unknown people were surveilling them.
Investigators learned that the victims had been targeted by people pretending to work for Microsoft, the Federal Trade Commission, and Chase Bank.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the scam began when one victim received a computer notification telling them to contact Microsoft tech support regarding security issues on their laptop.
Once the victims connected with the fake tech support, they provided remote access to their computer. The victims were told that their laptops contained viruses, illegal material and other criminal activity. They were then told that they were under federal investigation and would be arrested if they didn’t cooperate.
The victims began withdrawing and transferring large sums of money to the crooks, all the while thinking that they were assisting federal authorities. According to the Sheriff’s Office, about $23,000 in cash was packaged and handed to an unknown man who met the victims in the Brooktrails area. Deputies also learned the victims were instructed to obtain and mail a cashier’s check for approximately $73,000 to an address in Brooklyn, New York.
Through coordinated efforts with local businesses and financial institutions, detectives were able to recover the cashier’s check and facilitate the return of the funds to the victims’ bank account before the money was lost, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 463-4086 (option 1). Information can also be provided anonymously by calling the non-emergency tip-line at (707) 234-2100.