PINELLAS COUNTY, Florida — The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is alerting the public about a scam involving a fraudulent virus pop-up that has already cost one victim over $172,000. The scam instructs victims to call a listed number, where they are then coerced into opening new bank accounts and threatened with criminal charges if they do not comply.
The scam involves victims being instructed to wire money or withdraw large sums of cash, which are then collected by various couriers, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. The scammers continue to schedule future transactions with the victims. Authorities advise citizens not to provide personal or account information over the phone or computer and to report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office…