Sidney/North Saanich RCMP are warning of a scam that threatens to release video of people watching pornography. (CBC).
Sidney/North Saanich RCMP are warning the public of an email scam that threatens to send proof of people watching porn to their contacts unless they pay a bitcoin ransom.
Police said there have been numerous reports throughout the province of people receiving an email from a scammer, which said they have proof of the individual watching pornography online. In many of the cases, the scammer lists the person’s correct email password.
The fraudster threatens to email the “proof” to all the contacts in the individual’s email account unless the victim pays a bitcoin ransom.
Police said potential victims of the scam should ignore the email, change their password immediately and not provide any money in bitcoin or any other payment method.
Another suggestion police have for the public is to use unique and secure passwords for all their accounts and change their passwords on a regular basis. This email scam can have an attachment, which should not be open as fraudsters can use it to install malware on computers.
If you have been contacted by a scammer or have any information about this scam, you are are asked to call Sidney/North Saanich RCMP at 250-656-3931 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
Alexa Huffman
