Receiving a threatening email can be alarming, enraging, and frightening. The Better Business Bureau of Mainland BC (BBB) warns that scammers are attempting to capitalize on your fear in order to extort you.
The BBB has received reports of these types of scams in Canada as far back as August 2019.
A recent example of this "sextortion" scam was shared by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre with forewarnings to Canadians who may come across this type of fraud, which attempts to scare and shame victims into sending funds to the scammer.
These types of extortion emails will sometimes include a cryptocurrency QR code that they are directed to scan to make the payment.
“We know these are very unsettling emails to receive,” said BBB spokesperson Neesha Hothi.
“These scammers make threats and claim that they have proof of explicit website visits that they will send to friends and family if they are not paid off with cryptocurrency. The letter could include your name, phone number, address, and even pictures of your house to trick you. But it’s important to not get scared and act impulsively. Learn the signs of fraud, protect yourself with tips from the BBB, and report these threats whenever possible.”
The BBB suggests the following tips to help you identify and protect yourself from these extortion emails:
Red flags
- The scammer does not provide details about what site you supposedly visited
- The scammer does not offer evidence to prove they have the information they claim
- The scammer requests an urgent ransom be paid in gift cards, bitcoin, or wire transfer
- Messages include grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and a window of time in which to comply
Protect yourself
- Do not send money under pressure
- Delete threatening messages
- Search the web or BBB Scam Tracker for one or two sentences from the email to confirm
- Do not open attachments, click links, or scan QR codes in emails from people you do not know. Doing so can leave you vulnerable to identity theft and malware
- Do a security check on your computer and install security software
- Enable two-factor authentication on your accounts
- Set your social media pages to the highest privacy levels and limit sharing personal info online
- Change your passwords often
- Cover your webcam when not in use
- Check to see if your email was compromised in a security breach and change passwords as necessary
If you receive threatening messages report it to your local police immediately.
