Cortland (WSYR-TV) – A scam NewsChannel 9
first warned you about in August is circulating again, according to the Cortland County Sheriff’s Department.
An email claims you've broken the law, takes over your computer screen and tries to get you to hand over money to make it go away. What’s worse: The scammers pull off the ultimate role reversal by pretending to be the FBI.
Here’s what happens: Your computer is taken over by a notice that looks like an official alert from the FBI. It accuses you of violating copyright and child porn laws, then threatens that you have to pay a fine to unlock your computer.
Remember, anything claiming to be from the government should be a red flag.
“If the FBI needs to get in contact with members of the public, we would not do so via an unsolicited computer message,” said Jenny Shearer with the FBI, back in August.
The sheriff’s department is urging people to delete the email immediately, do not pay any money, and do not release any personal information.
Both the FBI and sheriff’s department suggest bringing your computer to a professional because the message freezes your computer and that can be hard to fix.
For additional information on this scam,
visit the FBI’s website.
