NEW RIVER VALLEY, Va. – Two New River Valley police departments have issued warnings about online scams.
Christiansburg police are warning people about a scam that looks like a message from Microsoft.
When the victim answers, the scammer asks for information on your bank and tells you to deposit your money into a separate account using Bitcoin. After that, they steal your money.
Officers at the Town of Pulaski Police Department said they get similar scams and they can be disastrous for families.
“We’ve had people lose tens of thousands of dollars,” said Sarah Grim, a captain at the Pulaski Police Department. “Credit cards taken out in their name, their credit being completely ruined, people getting access to their bank accounts, their social security number.”
They said one rule of thumb is to remember the bank and law enforcement will never text you – they will always contact you through mail or in person.