A new scam that uses public images of people’s homes to attempt to trick them into sending scammers thousands of dollars in Bitcoin is hitting email inboxes across the state.

DO NOT RESPOND!!!

The emails say things like, “You’ve been treading on thin ice with your browsing habits” or “I’ve got footage of you doing embarrassing things in your house.”

These emails can seem real, and sometimes include a person’s name, address and even a photograph of where they live.

An Oregon Department of Justice employee received the email a few weeks ago. It included her name, address, phone number and a PDF document. In the PDF document, there was an image of her home in Oregon, which looked like it came from Google Maps Street View.

In the threatening email, the scammer claimed to have installed spyware on her devices and to have compromising images and videos they threatened to release to all her contacts if she didn’t send $2,000 worth of Bitcoin.

It is important to note that the images and videos that scammers claim to have obtained and threaten to release do not actually exist.

The message from the scammer said: “Don’t even think about replying to this, it’s pointless. I don’t make mistakes, [name]. If I suspect that you’ve shared or discussed this email with someone else, your video will instantly start getting sent to your contacts.”

While blackmail scams have been around for years, this new version is far more sophisticated (and much scarier).

Previously personal information could be gathered online, but it took some time and effort. Now, in a manner of minutes, cyber criminals can gather all kinds of information about you, including your name, address, phone number and a photograph of your home, from the internet.

“If you receive one of these emails, do not respond,” said Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum.

“The last thing you want to do is to communicate, with a scammer. You do not want to let them know that your email address is accurate. You do not want them to know that your cellphone number or home address is accurate. You do not want to be an easy target. If you get an email like this, do not reply, and do not pay any money. Instead, report the email to the Oregon Department of Justice online at www.oregonconsumer.gov,” said AG Rosenblum.

Oregon Attorney General
1162 Court St NE
Salem, OR 97301-4095