A Rutherford County man was targeted by a scam after seeing a pop-up virus alert on his computer, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. The pop-up claimed a virus was detected and asked him to take action. Afterward, a scammer pretending to be law enforcement tried to get the man’s personal information by saying he faced a federal arrest, as reported by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.
A man received a deceptive message and was contacted by someone claiming to be "Deputy Brandon Walls of the Sheriff’s Office," a position the real Sheriff’s Office says does not exist. The caller said illegal content was on the man’s computer and asked for his Social Security number to avoid a federal arrest. The man’s stepdaughter advised him to “hang up,” which stopped the scam, as stated by the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office.
According to the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office on their Facebook page, the public is warned not to give out their Social Security number to avoid an arrest. People should be careful of unsolicited calls or messages about computer or legal issues and should “hang up.” They ask the public to share this information to help prevent identity theft and financial loss.
