Email Extortion
While email scams are not new, there has been an uptake in incidents across the country of people receiving sextortion emails containing personal details. These details may include your full name, phone number, and address. Causing an increase in fear is the inclusion of a google maps photos of your home, with an accompanying “nice home you’ve got there” type message. The email offers these personal details as “proof” they have compromised your computer and will share embarrassing photos and videos with your family and friends if you do not comply with their demands.
Protect Teens and Young Adults
Talk to the teens and young adults you know about cyber scams. Teens and young adults are specifically targeted on social media and chat platforms by scammers pretending to be teens. Once a relationship has formed, these scammers threaten to expose personal messages and photos unless they are paid. These scams have led teens and young adults to suicide, so fearful are they by the threat of arrest and family embarrassment. While arrests have been made, prevention is paramount.
What else can you do?
Our friends, family, and community are not as informed about these issues as we might believe. When you see an article about these scams, please share the information with those you know. Here are a few recent articles to start with:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/sextortion-scams-now-include-photos-of-your-home/
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/california-leads-nation-in-fraud-total-losses-for-cybercrime-victims-60-or-over-fbi/
https://www.kcra.com/article/california-fake-parking-sign-qr-code-scams/62084710
https://abcnews.go.com/US/inside-crypto-con-costing-victims-billions-losses-scam/story?id=113390283
While email scams are not new, there has been an uptake in incidents across the country of people receiving sextortion emails containing personal details. These details may include your full name, phone number, and address. Causing an increase in fear is the inclusion of a google maps photos of your home, with an accompanying “nice home you’ve got there” type message. The email offers these personal details as “proof” they have compromised your computer and will share embarrassing photos and videos with your family and friends if you do not comply with their demands.
- What to do if you get one of these emails
- The email is a lie. Do not make any payments!
- Do not click any links in the email
- Do not open any attachments in the email
- Do not forward the email
- Do not respond to the email
- Report the email as “spam” to your email provider
- Delete the email and file a report with IC3.gov
Protect Teens and Young Adults
Talk to the teens and young adults you know about cyber scams. Teens and young adults are specifically targeted on social media and chat platforms by scammers pretending to be teens. Once a relationship has formed, these scammers threaten to expose personal messages and photos unless they are paid. These scams have led teens and young adults to suicide, so fearful are they by the threat of arrest and family embarrassment. While arrests have been made, prevention is paramount.
What else can you do?
Our friends, family, and community are not as informed about these issues as we might believe. When you see an article about these scams, please share the information with those you know. Here are a few recent articles to start with:
https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/sextortion-scams-now-include-photos-of-your-home/
https://ktla.com/news/local-news/california-leads-nation-in-fraud-total-losses-for-cybercrime-victims-60-or-over-fbi/
https://www.kcra.com/article/california-fake-parking-sign-qr-code-scams/62084710
https://abcnews.go.com/US/inside-crypto-con-costing-victims-billions-losses-scam/story?id=113390283