There is a new scam campaign that has recently been brought to our attention regarding computer pop-up messages and phone calls. This advanced scheme includes elements of electronic tech support scams with impersonations of real personnel at the Federal Reserve and Schwab/other institutions in attempts to obtain your assets and sensitive data.

Here’s how the scam works:

1. A pop-up message appears pretending to be from either Microsoft or Apple warning that your computer has been compromised.
2. The popup instructs you to call a provided "tech support" number that connects to a fraudster.
3. After speaking with the fraudsters, you would be contacted by someone claiming to work for Schwab as a "security officer", who informs you that your Schwab account is "compromised". The Schwab employee impersonator tells you they must transfer the funds into an account in "federal custody", and your money will be returned in three business days once your account has been "encrypted" for safety.
4. Once you follow these instructions, your money disappears.

Here’s what you can do to protect your information:

1. DO NOT click on links or call any numbers based on any instructions provided from computer pop-ups.
2. Always verify the phone numbers you are calling.
3. NEVER grant remote access to your accounts to anyone.
4. When in doubt, call our office directly to verify any communication received electronically.

If you've been subjected to a scam attempt like this, please contact the Norfolk Sheriff's Office's Consumer Protection Unit to file a report.

File a Fraud Report

Another Norfolk resident has contacted us to let us know that someone called her on the phone asking her to contact someone who claimed to be associated with the Norfolk Sheriff's Office.

In this case, the caller identified himself as "Sergeant Green at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Department."

You can hear the actual message HERE:

The message he left seemed fairly innocent, so the woman who received the call DID call the number provided back, which in this case was (757) 505-0585.

When the woman called the number, the man who answered told her that she'd missed a federal grand jury duty appointment for March 6 and 7. He then told her there was a bench warrant out for her arrest.

He then instructed her to go to her bank, withdraw $3,250 in cash and bring it to an address on N. Military Highway (which turned out to be a gas station). They told her that at that location they'd check two forms of ID, verify her signature with their cryptologist and then take her money. Then she'd be directed to the sheriff's office.

At this point, the woman had grown suspicious and contacted us to determine the veracity of what the man had told her. We were able to confirm to her that there was no warrant out for her arrest and that this was an attempt to defraud her out of money.

Note that the phone number used by the scammer has NO association with the Norfolk Sheriff's Office. As a reminder, you will never be contacted in this way by anyone associated with this agency. 

If you have received a call like this, DON'T CALL THEM BACK! Instead, please contact the Norfolk Sheriff's Office's Consumer Protection Unit to file a report.

File a Fraud Report

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!!!

By: Andrew Rayo
Federal Trade Commission Consumer Education Specialist
February 23, 2023

What are scammers up to these days? Every day, people just like you tell the FTC what they’ve spotted, and maybe even lost money to. Then, every year, the FTC rolls up all those millions of reports about fraud, scams, and bad business practices to tell the story: what ARE scammers up to these days?

If you've been subjected to a scam attempt like this, please contact the Norfolk Sheriff's Office's Consumer Protection Unit to file a report.

File a Fraud Report