ORLANDO, Fla. – Fraudsters are dispatching blackmail messages purporting to possess damaging videos and demanding payment through Bitcoin to avoid sharing these videos with your contacts.
News 6 Meteorologist Julie Broughton has received multiple such communications.
One email alleged it had hacked Julie’s device, threatening to unveil embarrassing videos unless she paid nearly $2,000 in Bitcoin.
The message was personalized, specific, and quite frightening.
“I had a moment where my heart stopped because I thought, ‘Is this real?,’ and, ‘What if it is?’” Broughton shared.
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All the emails included her address, phone number, and one even featured a photo of the clubhouse near her home with the text “Look familiar?”
“You imagine someone out on your street taking pictures around your neighborhood, and it makes you feel uneasy,” she remarked.
Webster Green, assistant special agent in charge with the U.S. Secret Service Orlando Field Office, clarified that these images are probably obtained from Google Earth and public records.
Regardless, many individuals continue to fall prey to these scams.
He cautioned, “If you pay $2,000 from the initial email, they’ll realize, ‘Okay, I can go back to this person and potentially extract more from them,’ and they keep coming back.”
I also received a similar email. After looking into it, we discovered it’s an old scam that has been updated.
The Federal Trade Commission issued a consumer warning back in 2018 concerning a Bitcoin blackmail scam aimed at unfaithful spouses.
Experts recommend not responding to these emails and simply deleting them.
The scheme is not just targeting adults; there is rising concern about how younger individuals might react.
“I worry about my daughter, who is 15, and other kids or young people receiving this and feeling too scared to disclose it to someone because they might believe it’s real and fear the consequences,” Broughton stated.
“Young people can easily fall for it,” Green noted. “Unfortunately, there have been instances of teenage suicides linked to these situations.”
“I feel it’s necessary to discuss this with her,” Broughton said about her daughter. “’Look at this email I received. If you ever encounter something like this, don’t worry. Share it with me. It’s likely a hoax, but we’ll take care of it.’”
If you encounter such an email, you can report it to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
Remember, don’t succumb to the scam and protect yourself. However, if you do experience any issues, email Louis Bolden at [email protected].
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