The authorities alert the local community to be vigilant as an email blackmail scheme makes the rounds in the area. According to a recent warning issued by the Portland Police Bureau, this cyber scam, which is not new but has seen a surge in reports, involves scammers sending emails containing the victim's personal information, such as their name, address, and phone number, along with an attachment that may have even more personal data and sometimes a Google Maps Street View image of what they suppose is the victim's home. The scam threat claims to hold sensitive personal details, possibly including Internet history or supposedly humiliating photos and videos and demands payment through cryptocurrency to keep this information private.
The scam creates a fake one-day deadline to pressure people into acting quickly without thinking. The Portland Police Bureau says that although the initial email is meant to scare you, these scams usually don’t go beyond that first message. The scammers often don’t have any real compromising information. Staying cautious is important, but this threat rarely leads to anything more.
In response to these fraudulent activities, the Portland Police Bureau advises the public not to engage with these threatening emails. "Attachments should NOT be opened from unknown senders (and even known senders unless they’re expected)," the Portland Police Bureau details on its website. This makes it clear that the best course of action is to avoid any interaction—avoid opening attachments, not reply, and instead simply delete the unwelcome emails.
