Mathews County sheriff's office warns residents of scam
MATHEWS COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — The Mathews County Sheriff's Office is warning residents of an ongoing cyber scam.
In a Facebook video, Mathews County Sheriff April Edwards read aloud parts of a letter that a resident received. It stated that 'it's important you pay attention to this message right now. Take a minute to relax, breathe and really dig into it. We're talking about something serious here and I ain't playing games. You don't know anything about me. However, I know a lot about you.'
Someone claiming to be a hacker sent the letter, claiming that they were able to gain control of the victim's device while they were browsing the internet.
'I can peep at everything on your display. Switch on your camera and mic and you wouldn't have a clue,' the letter reads. 'And I've got access to all your emails, contacts and social media accounts too.'
The letter then claimed to have sensitive footage of the victim. They threatened to share the footage across their social media platforms if they didn't pay $19,150 via bitcoin.
The victim found the letter to be a bit confusing, as they didn't use any social media platforms. They brought to the message to Mathews County Sheriff's Office, which determined that it was a scam.
'I just encourage all citizens that, if you were to receive a letter like this, just please throw it in the garbage.' Edwards said, also cautioning residents to 'just stay smart and have your guard up when it comes to anything, any solicitation of money.'
If anyone has questions, they can contact the Mathews County Sheriff's Office.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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