Sheriff’s Office Warns Of Assassination Threat Texting Scam

Oneida County Sheriff Rob Maciol is warning residents of a new type of phone and texting scam that has been happening in the area.

Maciol says people have recently been receiving text messages on their phones from an unknown source saying that they’ve been hired to assassinate them

But the caller or texter says they have a conscience and would be willing to spare their life if the victim pays them a fee.

The Sheriff’s Office urges anyone who receives these threatening message to not panic, to not respond to them, to not click on any links within the text, and do not provide any personal banking or financial information back to the sender. Instead,

The Sheriff recommends that if you receive one of these messages, to please report it to law enforcement immediately.

The main line for the Sheriff’s Office is (315) 736-0141.

Meanwhile, state Department of Health are urging New Yorkers to be aware of an ongoing scam. Officials say the text message phishing scheme is asking people to validate their COVID-19 vaccination status in an attempt to steal their personal data such as passwords and Social Security numbers. The message appears to be from the Department of Health and tells the person receiving it they must enter their information in order to prove they've been vaccinated. Anyone who gets a text message like this should delete it immediately.