BUFFALO, N.Y. — Scammers are using email addresses, intimidation, and threats of embarrassment to try and get other people's money.
That warning comes from New York State Police, who said Thursday that a nationwide automated sextortion scam is being used more and more often in an attempt to coerce people into making payments.
Here's how it works.
"Scammers obtain emails and other personal information purchased illegally on the dark web to contact victims, stating that they have the victim’s personal information, and often will include a photo of the victim’s residence, and instructions to make payment in Bitcoin to avoid repercussions," police said in a news release.
After that, the scammers will threaten to embarrass the victims and attempt to convince them that they installed malicious software on various devices to track internet use.
The scammers, as they often do, will urge people to act quickly, claiming that "they possess images of the victim viewing pornographic material and threatens to disclose this content to everyone in their contact list within 24‐48 hours unless they pay in Bitcoin to have the content deleted."
State Police say that if you do encounter this scenario, or something like it, don't provide any personal information. Scammers will often attempt to learn people's birthdates, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, and financial information in an attempt to acquire money.
You're also asked to block the sender, delete the email, and contact the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at this link. You can also call the FBI at 800‐CALL‐FBI.
New York State Police often assist federal agencies with criminal investigations.