Officials with an eastern North Carolina sheriff's office said there is a new scam being reported locally, and this one uses an internet browser to trick people into parting with their money.
Onslow County Sheriff’s Office Deputies said the scammer sends a pop-up notification to an internet browser, claiming to be the Department of Social Security, saying they are investigating multiple charges from the person's bank account … and claiming someone has stolen the target’s identity.
The scammer then follows up with a phone call, claiming they are refunding the money using gift cards, but the victim has to pay to activate the cards to get the refund. Sometimes the scammer will physically send the gift cards to the victim by mail.
Investigators said it’s a scam, and anyone who receives these phone calls or notifications should hang up and contact law enforcement to file a report.
