Police Warning: New Scam Threatens to Intimidate & Embarrass Victims

The New York State Police have issued a new scam warning that they say is threatening to "intimidate and/or embarrass" victims unless they pay.

Most of us are well aware that today's world is full of scam artists that have made a career, and a ton of money by scamming victims out of their hard-earned money. It seems like every week law enforcement officials have to put out a warning to inform folks that scammers have come up with another way to try and take advantage of us.

Latest Online Scam in New York

The New York State Police (NYSP) has issued a public warning to inform people that a "new" scam is making the rounds across the state. The nationwide automated "sextortion" scam targets people with scammers claiming to have the victim's personal information and will threaten to use it by using intimidation and threats of embarrassment unless the victim pays them.

According to the NYSP, the scammers allegedly buy the emails and other personal information illegally on the dark web and proceed to contact the victims, stating that they have the victim’s personal information. Scammers often include a picture of the victim’s residence in threatening emails, along with instructions to pay them in Bitcoin to avoid repercussions.

Scammers Threaten to Embarrass Victims

Often times the scammers will also try to convince the victim that they have installed software on their phone, tablet, or computer, have access to their personal accounts, and are tracking their internet use, and will threaten to use items to publicly embarrass them. Police also said that to get a victim to act quickly, the scammer will claim to possess pictures of the victim looking at pornographic material and will threaten to share the "content" with everyone in their contact list within 24‐48 hours unless they pay in Bitcoin to have the content deleted.

SEE ALSO: New York State Police Issue 70+ Tickets in 4 Hours

Despite these claims, the scammer does not have access to the victim’s device or personal information according to police.

What to Do if You Get a Sextortion Email

If you receive one of these emails, do NOT engage or share ANY personal information. You should block the sender, delete the email, and report it through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center. If someone believes that they are the victim of sextortion or identity theft, the FBI encourages them to report it by contacting their local FBI office or calling 1‐800‐CALL‐FBI.