FTC SCAM ALERT: Be Cautious of Scam Emails Demanding Bitcoin Currency, Blackmail Threats
By Federal Trade Commission // May 4, 2020
AVOID LINKS FROM THOSE YOU DON’T KNOW
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The FTC uses the information it gets from people who report scams to keep a close watch on trends, so we can alert you to changes.
Here’s one: reports of Bitcoin blackmail scams have taken a big jump in the last few weeks.
The emails say they hacked into your computer and recorded you visiting adult websites.
They threaten to distribute the video to your friends and family within hours unless you pay into their Bitcoin account.
Stop. Don’t pay for anything. Delete the message. It’s a scam.
Based on the timing of this spike, you may get one of these messages because your email was exposed in a recent data breach.
The scammers may say they have access to your computer or webcam or installed clever software to defeat you.
That’s all talk. But they may really know one of your old – or recent – passwords, and they include it in the message to prove it. When you see that, you know it’s time to update your password on that account, and consider updating other passwords, too.
If you, or someone you know, get a message like this, please report it to the FTC at FTC.gov/Complaint
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