On January 20, 2026, the Fort Myers Police Department in Florida arrested Benton M. Reynaert for sering as a money mule for a common Microsoft technical support scam operation that targeted victims from the United States, Canada and Australia. How the scam worked was
- The scammers would generate fake virus popups urging the victims to call a designated “suppoat” line and grant the scammers remote access to their computers.
- The victims will later be pressured into sending cash to Reynaert to resolve a purported “refund error.”
- Raenart would then transfer the stolen funds overseas through methods such as crypto payments, wire transfers, gift cards, checks and Western Union transactions.
Reynaert has since been charged with money laundering, organized fraud, use of a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony and dealing in stolen property (trafficking).
https://www.gulfcoastnewsnow.com/article/fort-myers-international-money-laundering-fraud/70095151