Crime & Safety
Strange Computer Message Came with 'Homeland Security' Warning: Blotter
A 36-year-old woman received an odd warning through her computer and notified Midlothian police on July 30.
An alert claiming to be from the Department of Homeland Security popped up on a computer belonging to a Midlothian woman, police said.
The 36-year-old woman was watching a dance video on the video-sharing website YouTube when she received an alarming message on July 30, Midlothian police said. The message, which claimed to be coming from the federal agency, informed the woman the computer was locked due to "looking at child porn."
The suspicious alert informed the Midlothian woman that she would have to pay $300 through a money transfer service to get her computer unlocked, police said.
The woman also believes a photo of her was taken at some point, police said. A picture box with her image showed up during the ordeal.
Are You a Fan of True Crime? Like our Crime-N-Shame Facebook page to stay on top of the big stories and the weird ones.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
