Livingston County Sheriff Steve Cox warns area residents of an email scam attempting to trick email recipients into believing messages are from a spyware software developer, and they hacked the recipient’s account and computer.
Cox says the sheriff’s office has received several reports of the scam, in which the scammer claims to have installed commands to stay up to date on attempts to change passwords or eliminate the threat, causing the victim and his or her information to be vulnerable.
The scammer reportedly claims to stalk the intended victim by controlling the computer’s camera, microphone, and other information contained on the computer. The scammer tries to create fear of exploiting the recipient and the information on the device and usually requests several hundred dollars or more be transferred to an account or sent in a specific way.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office has checked with a computer and internet expert who recommends the best way to protect yourself is to change passwords on the computer and email accounts and ignore the threatening emails.