Scam Alert: 'Ransomware' Making the Rounds

BRADENTON, FL — Tampa Bay area residents with smartphones might want to check twice that their security software is up to date.

That’s the word from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office as it warns the “ransomware” scam is making the rounds. The scam involves a virus that is downloaded onto smartphones that essentially freezes them up. Scammers tell their victims their phones have been locked “due to an alleged violation of federal law,” the sheriff’s office warned in an email to media. To get the blocking software removed, victims must pay a fine, the scammers say.

“These types of scams have been used with computers for some time and the scammers are now targeting mobile devices,” the sheriff’s office said.

Victims who find their phones or computers locked by a ransomware attack are asked to contact local law enforcement. It’s also important to make sure virus protection and security software is up to date, the sheriff’s office said.

It is unclear how common these types of attacks are in the Tampa Bay area. The FBI, however, issued a warning earlier this year about the rise in ransomware incidents.

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