Several Walton County residents have reported getting the FBI MoneyPak computer virus, according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office.
Cyber criminals disguise themselves as members of the FBI and try to convince victims to pay a fine, a Sheriff's Office news release reported. A virus spreads to the victim’s computer and locks it down. The criminals then demand payment, usually through pre-paid money cards such as MoneyPak.
The criminals claim the victim has violated laws such as downloading copyrighted material or child pornography. Victims also have been threatened with jail time.
Paying the fine does not unlock a computer and can cause more damage.
People can report incidents to www.ic3.gov (the Internet Crime Complaint Center).