There have been more than a dozen reports of an extortion scam this week claiming to have people’s private photos, videos, and information.
Coquitlam RCMP is warning the public about an ongoing scam which “can appear convincing.”
“Perpetrators have contacted the victims directly and provided open-source personal information to further perpetuate the scam,” said Media Relations Officer Corporal Alexa Hodgins. “We want to remind the public to remain cognizant of these types of scams and to report incidents to the police immediately.”
Over the course of a week, the RCMP department received 18 reports of people being contacted via email.
Mounties explained that perpetrators are claiming to have compromising pictures, videos, and personal information of victims.
“They direct the victims to send money to a Bitcoin wallet or risk having the personal information and photographs sent to their friends and family,” RCMP said in a statement.
“To further perpetuate the scam, the perpetrators provide a photograph of the victim’s house, which can be easily located through open-internet queries, as proof that they possess the personal details of the victim.”
Hodgins said no one who has reported the incident has given money to the perpetrators, but the RCMP want to remind the public that it’s not their fault if they are targeted or fall victim to these scams.
“The perpetrators can be highly convincing, using tactics that are enticing, pressuring, and threatening in nature,” Hodgins said.
To keep yourself safe online, RCMP recommends:
- Do not give out your personal information or information about your computer
- Do not open emails, files, or links from people you do not know and trust
- Be mindful when sharing information on personal accounts or sites
Here are some tips from RMP if you are a victim of extortion:
- Immediately stop all communication. Deactivate (but don’t delete) any of the accounts you are using to communicate with the individual
- Do not comply with the threat. Do not send money or additional photographs or personal information, as it will make the situation worse
- If you have sent money, check to see if it has been collected and, if not, quickly cancel the payment
- Make a police report
- Keep the correspondence. Keep information such as the person’s username(s), social media account information, a copy of the communications, along with any images and/or videos that were sent
- Talk to a trusted adult or counsellor