Real Question from a Federal Employee
Question from many federal employees:
“I received a pop-up on my computer saying my device was infected and I needed to call a support number right away. It looked official. What should I do?”
Fraud does not always look like fraud at first.
Sometimes it looks like a message from Apple. Sometimes it looks like a bank alert. Sometimes it looks like a text from a company you recognize. And sometimes it starts with a simple pop-up that says your computer has been infected and you need to call a phone number right away.
Here is the simple answer: do not call the number on the screen.
The Federal Trade Commission says that if you receive a pop-up telling you to call a number to fix a virus on your computer, you should ignore it, as it is likely an impostor scam. The goal is not to fix your computer. The goal is to get you on the phone, create panic, and convince you to hand over money, personal information, or access to your device.
Why These Scams Work
These scams are designed to make smart people act quickly.
That is what makes them dangerous.
Scammers often create a sense of urgency. They may say your computer is infected, your bank account is at risk, or money was accidentally transferred to you. Then they may ask you to “help fix the mistake” by sending money back.
In some cases, the scammer may even pretend they are going to lose their job if you do not help them. That is not an accident. These scams are written to pull at your emotions.
This is not about intelligence. It is about pressure.
We have seen very capable, educated, and financially responsible people get caught in these situations. Federal employees and retirees may be especially attractive targets because scammers may assume they have steady income, retirement savings, TSP assets, or pension benefits.
The Crypto Scam Twist
Another growing concern is cryptocurrency-related fraud.
A scam may begin with a fake virus alert, text message, or online message. Then it may move into an “investment opportunity,” often involving crypto. The scammer may show fake gains, fake account balances, or fake login pages. Then they may say you need to send more money before you can access your funds.
The FBI has warned that cryptocurrency investment fraud remains a major issue. In one FBI victim-notification effort, 77% of identified cryptocurrency investment fraud victims did not realize they were being scammed at the time they were contacted by the FBI.
That is important. Many people do not know they are in a scam while the scam is happening.
Red Flags Federal Employees Should Watch For
Be cautious if someone:
- Says your computer, phone, or account has been infected
- Tells you to call a phone number shown in a pop-up
- Asks for remote access to your computer
- Claims money was accidentally transferred to you
- Pressures you to send money quickly
- Asks you to buy gift cards, crypto, or wire money
- Tells you not to talk to your spouse, family, advisor, bank, or law enforcement
- Says you need to add more money before you can withdraw funds
Apple also warns customers to be cautious of scam messages, fake support calls, and suspicious pop-ups that try to impersonate Apple or Apple Support. The safer step is to go directly through official company channels rather than trusting a number or link that appeared unexpectedly.
What Should You Do Instead?
If you see a warning pop-up or receive a suspicious text, pause before doing anything.
Close the window if you can. Do not click links. Do not call the number shown. Do not allow remote access to your computer.
Then, use a separate trusted device or official website to contact the company directly if you are concerned. For example, if the alert claims to be from Apple, go to Apple’s official support page yourself. Do not use the phone number from the pop-up.
If money is involved, stop immediately and talk to someone you trust before sending anything.
That may be your spouse, adult child, bank, financial professional, or law enforcement. The key is to slow the situation down.
Scammers want speed. Protection often starts with a pause.
If You Already Sent Money
If you already sent money or gave access to your computer, do not be embarrassed and do not wait.
Contact your bank or financial institution immediately. Ask whether the transaction can be stopped or flagged. Change passwords from a clean device. Consider freezing your credit if personal information was shared.
You may also report suspected internet crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center and report fraud to the FTC. Reporting does not guarantee recovery, but it may help authorities track patterns and warn others.
The Bottom Line
Federal employees work hard for their benefits, TSP savings, pensions, and retirement income.
A scammer should not get access to those assets because of one rushed phone call.
If something feels off, slow down. Do not send money. Do not share access. Do not trust a phone number that appeared in a pop-up.
Fraud prevention is now part of retirement planning. Protecting your assets is not only about market risk, taxes, or income strategy. It is also about ensuring the wrong person does not gain access to what you spent decades building.
Before you act, pause and verify.
That one step may make all the difference.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Micah Shilanski, CFP®, is a distinguished financial planner known for his deep commitment to providing exceptional advisory services to his clients. As the founder of Plan Your Federal Retirement, Micah has dedicated his career to helping federal employees understand and optimize their benefits to help ensure a secure and prosperous retirement. His experience is widely recognized in the industry, making him a sought-after speaker and educator on financial planning and retirement strategies.
Micah’s approach is client-centered, focusing on creating personalized strategies that address each individual’s unique needs. His work emphasizes the importance of comprehensive planning, incorporating aspects of tax strategy, investment management, and risk assessment to guide clients toward achieving their financial goals.Floyd Shilanski (00:00.066)
You’ve just logged on to your computer and up pops this banner on its screen. From Apple Computer, you have been infected with this massive virus. Call one eight hundred something. Do it now. What do you do? Delete it. That’s what you do. Hi, Floyd Shilansky here. I’m with Plan New Federal Retirement. Normally I talked about Social Security, but I want to talk to you today about fraud. Most recently we had the Postmaster General at our office and we were talking about
things dealing with this investments of course and the then the subject came up on fraud and he brought up a very interesting conversation. He said, Foy, what people don’t understand today is that the cartels, the gangs, the mafia have taken up white collar crime and they’re doing fraud. And they’re doing fraud because if they’re moving dope or moving drugs and they get caught, the individual doing that goes to prison for years. White collar crime, they go to prison for months. So massive, massive changes.
Over the last year, I regrettably have to inform you that we have had clients, very sophisticated clients, take the bait. All right. They get on the phone, they say it’s current, they go 1-800, it’s Apple. And Apple says, my god, your your computer is so on, so let me give me permission to go in there and kind of fix things. And they’ll log on and they’ll do things like that. Then all of a sudden they say, man, we really made a mistake. We transferred money to you. I’m gonna lose my jobs. They pull at the heart strings, and all of a sudden
you start transferring money to them. And then they c start asking more and more information. And they are designed to get to the heart. Crooks are designed to make you want to do things. I’ve had clients, respected bankers, get clipped for, you know, thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars. And most recently another client, senior like myself, all right, said, Well, Floyd, it’s okay because they’re going to give me crypto. I’m going to buy crypto.
And they gave him the number to log on, but he couldn’t get in. Well, that’s because you haven’t put enough money in. Put enough money in. So as an advisor, he calls me and says, Floyd, I’m buying crypto, send me some money. And we had this long conversation. So we wire his money. And then he calls into the the brokerage firm and starts having this conversation with the customer service department. And they flag the account as fraud. This goes on for about four or five days and finally get him on the phone.
Micah Shilanski (02:23.534)
And I and I asked the following question. You know, I say, Bob, how did you meet this influencer? And he goes, Well, I got this text saying I have been infected. And I sighed. He says, I hear you sigh, Floyd. I go, Yeah. And they asked you for money, didn’t you? Yeah, they said it made a mistake and they put $1,000. So I need to they’re gonna lose their job, so send me a thousand dollars. And I did that. And then it kind of escalated. Then I got this other guy. He says, I want to fix this. It’s okay. And he’s walking through him.
And I’m talking to my client and and he tells me all these things. And I said the next thing he says, just send us a little bit more money, we’ll transfer it to Well, that’s exactly what he said. He said, Well, I gotta call him and stop this. I said, No, call the FBI. This has become so prevalent, unfortunately. You know, back in the eighties, I guess we used to get letters from the Nigerian Prince, you know, I need ten thousand dollars to save my kingdom. And and then yesterday I got a letter from a prestigious law firm in
Canada saying that somebody with my last name died and left me money. And they’re willing to share that with that information with me. And about 30 minutes after I shredded my letter, here come a client in, and they had the exact same letter with their name. Front is prevalent. Please, if you’re listening to this, all right, and understand something. ATT, Apple computer, nobody’s going to send you a text and say you have been infected.
Be smart about it. If it doesn’t sound right, if someone asked you to send them money, don’t. Call us. I’ll walk you through it. I’ll help you figure that. We work too hard for what we have. This is Floyd, Senior Wealth Advisor with Plan Your Federal Retirement. We’re here for you. Don’t hesitate to call for help. Happy planning.
The content in Planner Federal Retirement is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered individualized advice. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Guests are not affiliated with CWM LLC Investment Advisory Services offered through CWM LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Plan Your Federal Retirement is not affiliated with the federal government.