Strathcona County RCMP are warning residents about an extortion scam that is currently circulating. Victims receive emails from suspects claiming to have captured compromising photos of them while viewing adult material online. The emails demand that victims send $2,000 to a Bitcoin wallet, threatening to share the alleged photos with the victim’s contact list if payment is not made.
The suspects often include a photo of the victim’s home as purported proof of their knowledge about the victim’s identity and location.
To protect themselves from falling victim to such scams, individuals are advised to be cautious when browsing online, cover their computer cameras, and consider contacting Google Maps to request that their home address be blurred out. If you receive such an email, do not respond or send any money, and report the incident to local authorities.
