Elgin woman scammed out of over $16K with fake fraud alert

ELGIN, Texas - An Elgin woman was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a fake fraud alert, says the Bastrop County Sheriff's Office.

What we know:

On March 28, a sheriff's deputy responded to a report of fraud involving an Elgin resident who was scammed out of $16,100 in cash.

The victim told the deputy that she had received a "fraud alert" message on her computer on March 26, followed by a phone call from someone saying they were with Microsoft.

That caller then transferred her to another person who claimed they were with her bank's fraud department. That person instructed her to withdraw $16,100 from her bank and hand it over to someone who would come to her home.

Around 4:15 p.m. on March 26, a newer model, all-black Chevrolet SUV was seen on the woman's property on Ewing Avenue. The driver is described as a thin Asian or Caucasian male with sandy brown hair and brown eyes.

What you can do:

Residents and businesses in the area of Ewing Avenue are asked to check their surveillance footage from March 26 at around 4:15 p.m. for any sightings of the SUV, driver, or suspicious activity.

Anyone with video or information on this case is asked to contact Investigator Mark Garcia at 512-549-5086 and reference case #2025-001350.