(Toledo News Now) - Some people are getting a scare at their computers. A message that appears to be from the FBI is costing people hundreds of dollars, but it doesn't have to cost a dime.
If you are like most people, you are pretty careful online and never visit questionable or pornographic websites.
Imagine receiving a notice from the FBI that your computer has been locked, because you've been surfing where you shouldn't. Is it real? Or a scam?
Screen Suddenly Locks Up
Jennifer Werner sat down at her PC a few days ago and couldn't believe what she was seeing: a webpage she had never seen before had taken over her computer.
"I walked in and saw a screen up on the computer, and it had the FBI logo," she said, "and I thought someone in the house had done something wrong or by accident."
The FBI alert stated she had visited an illegal website, and as a result, was being locked out of her web access. To unlock it, it told her to pay a $200 fine.
Werner said "they wanted money. They wanted a $200 Green Dot Money Pack card to unblock your computer."
Online Extortion Or "Ransomware?"
Werner got suspicious by the fact that she was told to send the fine by reloadable debit card from a drugstore.
She realized then it was a new type of online extortion, a virus known as "ransomware." It's downloaded when you click on a questionable website or e-mail.
In some cases, it uses your webcam to take a picture of you and display it back to you.
So Werner and her husband searched on their smart phones for a way to remove it, and found a number of webpages on Google for removing what's called the "FBI Green Dot Moneypack Virus."
"I hit the reboot button," Dan Werner explained. "I hit F12, went to the reboot screen, and followed instructions to do a self clean, a system restore."
If this happens to you, search on another computer or phone for the fix. You could also call a computer repair shop.
Werner's just glad she didn't pay the ransom.
Bottom Line
Assume any e-mail or online notice from the government is a scam, especially if it doesn't include your name specifically in the notice.
The FBI, IRS, and other agencies will not e-mail you. They will write or show up with a knock on your door.
That way you don't waste your money.
