On March 30, 2026, Marathon County Circuit Court judge Mike Moran convicted 37-year-old Chicago, Illinois resident Tao Wu for serving as a money mule for a common Microsoft technical support scam operation, where
- The scammers will generate fake virus popups urging their victims, in this case an elderly woman, urging them to call a designated “suppoat” line.
- The scammers who answer the call will take remote access of their victim’s computer and falsely claim their personal information was used to make “fraudulent purchases.”
- The victim will be asked to withdraw money from their bank account and “secure” them by purchasing gift cards, depositing them into a Bitcoin ATM or handing it off to a designated courier or money mule.
Wu was convicted on felony theft of movable property greater than $100,000, facing up to 12.5 years in prison and a fine of $25,000. He remains in policer custody with sentencing scheduled for July 20, 2026.