HALIFAX — Halifax Police Department is issuing a warning about a new automated sextortion scam targeting individuals across the country.
Scammers are using illegally obtained email addresses and personal information from the dark web to intimidate victims into making Bitcoin payments.
The sophisticated scam involves sending emails that claim possession of the victim’s personal data, often accompanied by a photo of their residence.
The scammers threaten to embarrass the victim publicly by alleging they have installed tracking software on the victim’s devices, have access to personal accounts, and monitor internet usage.
Victims are coerced into acting swiftly under the false pretense that the scammer has images of them viewing adult content.
They are threatened with exposure to their contact list within 24 to 48 hours unless they pay a ransom in Bitcoin.
The Halifax Police Department advises that these threats are baseless, as the scammers do not have access to the victim’s devices or sensitive information.
Authorities strongly urge recipients of such emails not to engage with the sender or share any personal details such as birthdates, phone numbers, social security numbers, or financial information.
Individuals who receive these sextortion emails should block the sender, delete the message, and report the incident to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for further investigation.
The police department emphasizes the importance of being vigilant against such scams and taking immediate action to prevent personal and financial harm.
