ECTOR COUNTY, Texas — The Ector County Sheriff's Office is warning residents about a texting scam that is circulating.
Authorities say the texts threaten the recipients and their families if they don't pay a fee.
The messages make a demand for money and often include pictures of the person's family members taken from Facebook pages.
One threat even included a picture of the person's house taken off of Google Earth.
Some texts have also reportedly included graphic images of Cartel-related murders that are available on the internet.
ECSO tells us the texts are generated from online phone applications that do not utilize an actual phone number but instead use a series of constantly changing IP addresses.
If you receive any text messages like this, you should call law enforcement immediately so it can be documented.
The Ector County Sheriff's Office is also reminding the public to be careful about sharing information on social media as it can become a treasure trove of information offered up by users.
You can call the Ector County Sheriff's Office at (432) 335-3060.
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