***** For Immediate Release*********
Madison County Sheriff Vern Hjorth is advising people to look out for painting and other home improvement scams. He cautions residents in hiring transient crews. They recommend that you hire local contractors for any home repairs, and thoroughly investigate them before repairs begin.
If you have any information on what you believe to be a suspicious contractor, you are asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 402-454-2110.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has produced Scam Alerts in the past advising the public of an ongoing telephone scam in which callers purport to be an employee of a major software company. The callers have strong foreign accents. The callers report the user’s computer is sending error messages and numerous viruses have been detected. The caller convinces the user to give them permission to run a program allowing the caller to gain remote access. The caller advises the virus can be removed for a fee.
Intimidation tactics used in this scam have influenced victims to pay fees associated with the removal of alleged viruses. It has been reported to the IC3 an individual who paid the required fees, later received a call advising the victim the funds paid for the services went to India and were used to purchase weapons for ISIS. The call came with an additional request for money to remove the victim’s name from a black list.
In a new twist to the tech support scam, cyber criminals attempt to defraud using another avenue. The scam is executed while a user is browsing the Internet. In this scenario, a website being viewed provided a link to articles related to popular topics. The user clicked the link and was redirected to a website which produced a window that advised the user’s computer had been hacked. Another window was displayed that contained a telephone number to obtain assistance. The user reported all attempts to close the windows were ineffective. Upon calling the number for assistance the user was connected with an individual who spoke with a heavy foreign accent claiming to be an Apple representative. During the process the user’s web browser was hijacked. Restarting the computer in an attempt to regain access to the Web produced another message with a different telephone number to obtain assistance.
The execution of this fraud is similar to what was reported in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) dated 07/18/2013. The PSA reports on a version of ransomware that targets OS X Mac users. This version is not a malware; it appears as a webpage that uses JavaScript to load numerous iframes (browser windows) and requires victims to close each iframe. The cyber criminals anticipate victims will pay the requested ransom before realizing all iframes need to be closed. The full PSA can be found at http://www.ic3.gov/media/2013/130718-2.aspx
If you are a victim of this scam or a similar scheme it is suggested:
To file a complaint at www.IC3.GOV
Resist the pressure to act quickly
Be cautious of clicking on unknown links
New Twist to the Telephone Tech Support Scam first published 11-14-2014.
PRESS RELEASE – CONSUMER ALERT
Area law enforcement, including the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, are receiving an increasing number of reports of fraud involving people misrepresenting themselves as law enforcement.
The scam typically starts as a victim receiving a call from someone identifying themselves as a member of a local law enforcement agency. The caller will tell the victim that there is an outstanding warrant for the victim and demand immediate payment to satisfy the warrant.
The caller ID on the victim’s phone may show the call as originating from the local law enforcement agency.
Often times, the victim will receive repeated phone calls from the same person demanding money. The caller attempts to increase the pressure on the victim as calls continue with increased threats of being arrested.
There are variations of this scam, with the callers identifying themselves as lawyers or collection agents, but they generally demand money on the threat of being arrested.
As a general rule, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department does NOT make calls to persons who have active arrest warrant, and certainly not repeated calls demanding money.
It appears that the callers are using digital technology to “spoof” or change their caller ID information to that of a local law enforcement agency where the victim lives. Because of the nature of this technology, it is extremely difficult to trace the call back to its source.
Persons who receive these types of calls are advised to do the following:
For more information, please contact the Investigations Unit of the Madison County Sheriff’s Department at 402-454-2110.
More information can be found at the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov
Vern Hjorth, Madison County Sheriff
IC3
Internet fraud and other white collar crimes, such as email and telephone scams, are becoming more prevalent every day. The Madison County Sheriff’s Department receives numerous calls each week regarding these crimes.
We encourage everyone to visit the IC3 website at www.ic3.gov frequently to keep abreast of the latest consumer alerts.
If you think you have been the victim of internet or white collar crime, please file a complaint with the IC3 using the form at http://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx
Reports made via this form are routed directly to the FBI for investigation or referral.