Foreign criminals are infiltrating the internet to prey on victims to try and steal their money.
Online scams are a billion-dollar industry that continues to grow, according to the FBI.
Recently, the News 3 Investigative Team reported that strangers online were threatening to kill a Tallwood High School student after they gave him $600 to use his pictures online. His family said he was the victim of a scam.
Several months ago, the News 3 Investigative Team reported problems with people pretending to be landlords in an effort to steal money.
We have also done stories about people falling victim to romance schemes .
The News 3 Investigative Team sat down with Scott Zmudzinski, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the Norfolk Office, to talk about online scams.
He said the following about romance schemes: “They prey on the vulnerabilities of needing compassion, love, relationships, and scammers will stop at nothing to exploit the human soul.”
In many cases, the criminals are overseas using the internet to get into the homes of the American people.