BALTIMORE — They have an image of your house, they know you by name and they claim they have used malware to video you while you’re viewing porn, which they’re prepared to send to all of your contacts.
“We can see you so we’re going to demand money to sort of keep it quiet what you’re doing,” said Elena Russo of the Maryland State Police, “They send you not just an email. They send you a picture of your home or an area of your home that’s nearby, and it is scary. It happened to me.”
That’s right.
Not once, but twice, Russo, the communication director for the law enforcement agency, has received the letter asking for a Bitcoin payment of two thousand dollars or else.
The scammer claims they have video of their victims “doing filthy things” and “once you pay up, you’ll sleep like a baby.”
“The people who are committing this crime are looking to threaten you enough to say, ‘Okay, enough. I will pay whatever you need to get out of my life’,” said Russo, “and that’s exactly what you don’t want to do particularly if it’s cryptocurrency.”
RELATED: Beware of this Gmail scam targeting Maryland residents
Investigators say they worst thing you can do is respond to the scammers.
Don’t click on any links or scan any URL codes or then they can gain access to your personal information.
They add anyone could get images of your home from Google Maps to make it appear they’re watching your every move, but the real threat comes if you fall for it.
