The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office is warning of a scam that has been circulating around the area over the last few months.
According to Deputy Eric Williams, scammers will access a computer remotely and bring up a warning screen saying the computer has been “compromised.”
“It asks the potential victim to call a number on the screen,” Williams said in a written release. “The potential victim calls the number and the individual on the other end of the line claims to be with either their bank or computer company and that the potential victim’s bank account is also compromised and they need to move their money to a safe place.”
Victims are then asked to withdraw a certain amount of money from their bank and place it into a “Bitcoin ATM” at an account number specified by the scammers.
“Once the money goes into the Bitcoin ATM, it is very difficult to be tracked,” Williams said.
Williams said it’s important to never give out information such as your social security number or banking information to someone over the phone.
“If you receive this scam and have questions regarding your bank account, please see your bank personally and they can assist you,” he said. “Scammers can be very persuasive over the phone. If you have a question or concern that a phone call might be a scam, you can hang up and call and speak with a deputy who will assist you.”
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