CONCORD — Attorney General John M. Formella issued an alert Wednesday warning New Hampshire residents, including the older adult population, of a burgeoning blackmail scam.
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office has received multiple reports from individuals who have been targeted by unfamiliar senders via email.
The subject line of the emails in question includes the recipient’s name, while the body of the email contains the recipient’s name and home address.
Each email has an attachment—a threatening letter that lists the recipient’s personal information including their name, telephone number, home address, and even a picture of their home.
The letter alleges that the sender has infected the recipient’s electronic device with a virus, enabling them to track the victim’s browsing history, emails, and social media activity.
It goes on to claim that the sender has gathered embarrassing information which they threaten to share with the recipient’s email and telephone contacts unless a “privacy fee” is paid in cryptocurrency.
Directions for payment and the amount of the fee are specified in the letter.
Authorities assure the public that these scammers have not physically visited the recipients’ homes nor have they infected their devices.
The personal information and photographs used in the scam are typically sourced from public records and online databases.
The scam is designed to instill fear and prompt hasty payments from victims.
The Attorney General urges residents to remain cautious, advising against responding to or opening attachments from unknown senders.
Those who have received such emails are instructed not to panic or send any form of payment.
Victims, especially those who have suffered financial loss, are advised to contact their local police department.
Additional steps include consulting a trusted computer service to assess whether devices have been compromised, and reporting the incident to the Attorney General’s Office via their Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-468-4454 or email at [email protected].
More information and the complaint form can be found at www.doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints.
The New Hampshire Bureau of Adult and Aging Services is also available at 1-800-949-0470 for those with knowledge of vulnerable adults being scammed or financially exploited.
