Scammers are getting craftier, and police are working to keep residents one step ahead.
Members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are sounding the alarm on a rising number of online and phone scams targeting residents.
Provincial police say the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre has received reports of scams involving extortion letters sent via email that contain personal information, including the recipient’s name, phone number and address.
“The extortion letter claims that the recipient has visited explicit websites and threatens to send a copy of a video to the recipient’s contact list unless payment via cryptocurrency is made,” the OPP stated in a Thursday release.
Police say in some cases, the emails include a QR code.
The OPP provided one example of an extortion letter that reads in part, “Well, you’ve been careless lately, scrolling through those videos and venturing into the darker contents of cyberspace.”
It continues, “Been keeping tabs on your pathetic life for a while now. It is simply your misfortune that I stumbled across your bad deeds… With simply a single click, I can send this filth to every single [one] of your contacts.”
The email requests an amount to be paid to remain silent, and towards the end, reads, “Let me tell ya, it’s peanuts for your peace.”
The letter then tells the recipient they have one day to “sort this out” in Bitcoins, and makes threats if the email is shared with anyone.
It concludes, “And don’t even think about turning off your phone or resetting it to factory settings. It’s pointless. I don’t make mistakes.”
Provincial police say those targeted by these extortion attempts never visited the websites mentioned in the emails.
“Fraudsters are attempting to scare victims into sending funds,” the authorities stated.
They urge the public to report a threatening message to the police immediately.
Provincial police also warn recipients of suspicious emails to never open links or scan QR codes from unknown sources.
They say fraudsters rely on high-pressure tactics and intimidation, hoping to catch victims off guard.
Police encourage anyone who received a similar “violent extortion message” to report it to local authorities and follow up with a report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.