Huron County OPP officers were called to investigate an extortion scam.
A victim had been contacted by someone who claimed that the victim's accounts had been hacked and that they were in possession of sensitive information.
The scammer also claimed that victim had visited adult websites and if they refused to forward a quantity of money, pictures and video of the adult pornography sites visited would be forwarded to everyone in their contact list.
The victim realized that this was a scam trying to extort money and immediately contacted police.
These types of messages are commonly known as scareware and are designed to create anxiety and complete shock for the victim resulting in the person sending money.
If you receive one of these messages, please be aware that this is a scam. If you've received a phone call or email of this nature or you have been "locked out" of your computer, this is an indication that your computer system may have been infected with malware and you will need to take steps to address the problem.
Tips to protect yourself:
Never download anti-virus software from a pop-up or link sent to you through an e-mail Update your anti-virus software often and scan your computer for viruses regularly Don't click on links or attachments in e-mails sent to you by someone you don't know Turn on your browser's pop-up blocking feature Never click on a pop up that claims your computer has a virus.
