Deputy Paul Orvis took a fraud call on Thursday, Feb. 10. The victim reported receiving a warning on their computer indicating that they had been hacked. She was then contacted by someone claiming to be from Microsoft, who said they would assist with the problem. They instructed the victim to purchase gift cards, which they did. They were also instructed to deposit $1,000 in a bitcoin machine at the mall. They also talked the victim into supplying photos of the front and back of their credit card and sending that information.
The loss in this case is about $20,000. The victim is working with the bank and credit card company to recoup the loss. Remember folks, the best practice is to only provide personal information when you have initiated the contact and are sure of who you are talking with.