While waiting for coffee, Jill Davis of Santa Barbara received a suspicious text.
"All right, well, I received a text and it's from nobody I know. I think they want me to reply, and then they're going to do something like try to lure me in," Davis said.
Nearly everyone has a story about receiving a text or online scam message.
Realtor Ally Edwards says it's especially prevalent in her business.
"I see a scam email almost every day," Edwards said.
Edwards says people making home purchases often get targeted for wire fraud, so she gives tips to her clients.
"Before you wire large amounts of money, please make sure that the wiring instructions are correct and you call someone to let them know that you're your wiring," Edwards explained.
According to the Santa Barbara Police Department, the latest scam in our area starts with a text or email with a photo of your house, implying the scammer knows where you live. The scammer then claims there is malware on the victim’s device, and that they will blackmail the victim if they don’t pay through a QR code.
Nadra Ehrman lives in Santa Barbara and says she’s received scam messages requesting money, but through a little research, was able to determine them to be fraudulent.
"If something doesn't seem right, just take a beat and don't feed into that urgency. Really take time to look at the details," Ehrman said.
If you receive a suspicious message, do not respond, download, or click any information or links. Report all internet crime to the IC3.gov
