A new twist to an email scam has RCMP warning people not to pay up, and to update their online security.
RCMP said Thursday they have received complaints about a cyber-extortion scheme in which the suspects have the intended victim’s actual password.
The complainants said they received an email telling them their computer has been infected with a virus, giving the sender control of their webcam. The scammers say they have video of the account owner viewing pornography and threaten to distribute it to their contact list unless they pay a ransom of Bitcoin. A copy of such an email is shown below.
WATCH: Police say new password email scam is not a real threat
While access to the passwords might convince would-be victims that the threat is real, police say security codes can be picked up many ways, including hacking and data-breaches. Changing your passwords often is recommended to prevent your personal information from falling into the wrong hands, they said.
RCMP note that the email threats can be startling, but by no means should anyone buy into the scam or pay the price.
Police say since the the culprits do not in fact have any incriminating video, anyone who has been victimized should have nothing to fear and encourages them to report the incident to their local police detachment or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
READ: RCMP shared this copy of an email received as part of the internet extortion scheme
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