A disturbing new email is catching many people off guard.
It’s been dubbed the ‘Hitman Scam’ by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and is designed to get your attention and your money.
In one example, the email says: “Someone you call a friend wants you dead by all means. Get back to me now if you are ready to pay some fees to spare your life, $7,000 is all you need to spend.”
Attached is usually a link to make contact and some instructions where to send the money.
The Police Financial Crimes Unit says the people behind it are professional conmen.
“When they do engage people, they can be convincing. They really prey on weaknesses and exploit it and in certain cases people will believe it.”
The Editor of digitaljournal.com says while it may seem outrageous, many people haven’t heard of these scams.
“A lot of people are still discovering email for first time or never used a smart phone or twitter before. As more and more people use email they have to be aware of scams.”
Very often you’ll be asked for personal information to steal your identity or banking and Paypal information to steal money.
Just opening the link can also unleash a virus or malware into your computer.
You can read the warning and see examples of the Hitman email on the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre website.
Comments