The Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office warns the community of scammers targeting people through their computers.
On Thursday, the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office posted a notice online alerting residents to scammers. The department said these contacts often occur via noisy pop-ups in internet browsers, telling users their computers have been infected by a virus and to call a specific phone number.
After clicking on the link, users can inadvertently provide scammers access to sensitive data. Officials noted scammers can gain access to sensitive information through suspicious email links as well.
The Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office said to avoid giving personal information or banking information to scammers, remain alert and if something sounds odd, it could be a scam.
If you experience issues with your computer, disconnect from the internet and take your device to a trusted computer technician for diagnosis. Scammers will use a variety of tactics to separate you from your personal property and obtain sensitive information.
Find more information to avoid scammers, here. Find the Gogebic County Sheriff’s Scam Alert below.
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Gogebic County Sheriff
Our office has taken several recent reports of scammers targeting people via their computers and attempting to get them to send money by various means. These contacts often occur via a noisy pop-up in your internet browser, telling you that your computer has been infected with a virus and to call a number (or else!), after you’ve clicked a link or a bad advertisement you’ve inadvertently viewed. These scammers still also target people through email as well.
Do not give them your personal or banking information. Do not approve random requests for permissions and let them have remote access to your computer. Don’t let them talk you into going to the bank or wiring money to them in a manner you don’t normally do. Your relative isn’t in a random jail cell. The police aren’t coming to arrest you. If you feel uncomfortable with the conversation, hang up and notify law enforcement. If your computer is being wonky, disconnect it from the internet, shut it down, and bring it to someone who can diagnose it for you.
The bottom line is not to let them fluster you into doing something hasty. Pause and make a phone call to friends, family, or law enforcement for assistance. There is no shame in asking for help!
