Imagine getting an email that contains your name, a picture of the front of your house and the words, “I’m watching your dirty behavior.”
Maryland State Police are warning people about a blackmail scam. Potential victims are asked for large sums of money in Bitcoins. The scammer demands money in order to keep their internet search history from being shared with their phone contact list.
The email sent to Gmail accounts in Maryland reads:
“Been keeping tabs on your pathetic life for a while now.”
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“It’s just your hard luck I came across your bad deeds.”
It goes on to say, “You’ve been treading on thin ice with your browsing habits, scrolling through those filthy videos and venturing into the darker corners of cyberspace.”
'Really disturbing' emails and what to do if you get one
Maryland State Police say if you get an email like this, don’t click on it. Contact your local police or reach out to the FBI online.
Kyleigh Beaver from Maryland State Police said the scam uses information that's publicly available online.
“And they'll blackmail you into saying that they have personal information about you and really disturbing emails encouraging you to send them money via Bitcoin,” Beaver said.
The threatening tone is backed up with a photo of the victim’s house which appears to be taken from Google Street view.
Many homeowners are unaware they have the option to opt out of having this information displayed publicly.
“If it's out there, it can be easily accessible,” Beaver said. "So they're basically taking these street view Google Maps of your house and sending them to you and saying, ‘You know what, I saw you viewing pornography.’”
The scam email goes beyond the visual shock of seeing your house to threats of cyber-spying.
“I actually installed Spyware …on an app you frequently use. I can look at everything on your screen, switch on your camera and mic, and you wouldn’t even notice,” the email says.
“I can send the filth to all your contacts,” it goes on to say.
The blackmailer requests a sum, in one case $2000, and demands it be paid in Bitcoin only using a QR code enclosed in the email.
It ends, “You get one day to sort this out.”
Scammers often use fear, intimidation and urgency to dupe people into sending money or handing over personal information.
In addition to contacting the authorities if you're the target of a scam, you can take steps to remove your person information from the internet.
