Scammers hack your smartphone, put child pornography on it and then try to extort money from you.
Charlotte resident Mayah Baker said, "I would freak out."
It's another kind of "ransomware" scam. Usually in those scams, con artists hack into your computer and encrypt your files, so you have to pay a ransom to access them again. But in this case, scammers hack into your smartphone, put child pornography on it, and assume you will be too afraid to tell police.
It recently happened to a 12-year-old girl in Coffee County, Tennessee.
Action 9's Jason Stoogenke asked the investigator who worked the case, Det. Frank Watkins, how the scam works.
Watkins said:
- The con artists hack in.
- They put the illicit images on your phone.
- You can't erase them.
- Then they send you a message.
- It looks like it is from the FBI.
- It says you're caught, that agents know you downloaded pornography, and plan to face criminal charges unless you pay $500 to clear up the situation now.
They are counting on people being worried that if they go to police, police won't believe they're really an innocent victim. And, in many cases, people don't report it.
In fact, the Department of Homeland Security recently released an alert on ransomware scams.
It estimates a single scamming operation can pocket close to $400,000 per month.
"Oh my gosh. That's insane," Baker said.
To protect yourself:
- Make sure your anti-virus software is current.
- Be suspicious if some business or agency contacts you, instead of the other way around.
- Don't click on any of their links or attachments.
- Check the security settings on your phone, if you haven't already.
- Don't pay the ransom.
- Call police.
Click here for advice from the Better Business Bureau.
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