Sheriff: Scam uses pop-up to steal money
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging the public to be on alert for a recent scam utilizing a fraudulent pop-up.
The suspects are utilizing a fraudulent virus pop-up which instructs the victim to call the number listed. The scammer then tells the victim that they will assist with opening a new bank account and often threatens possible criminal charges if the victim does not comply. The scammer then instructs the victim to wire money or withdraw large amounts of cash which is then collected by different couriers. They then continue scheduling future transactions with
the victims. Recently, one victim lost over $172,000 due to this scam.
The sheriff’s office advises citizens to not to give personal information or account information over the phone or computer and call the Sheriff’s Office to report suspicious activity.
Anyone with information on this scam or who has become a victim is asked to call the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office at 727-582-6200.