Murfreesboro Police Warn: Don’t Fall for This High-Tech Blackmail Attempt

Sep 09, 2024 at 08:50 pm by WGNS News


MURFREESBORO, TN - It seems like scammers never run out of creative (and slightly ridiculous) ways to trick people, and Murfreesboro is the latest target. The Murfreesboro Police Department has issued a warning about an email extortion scam that has recently hit the inboxes of some local residents. Two unfortunate souls reported receiving emails that appeared to be from someone they knew, claiming their computers and phones had been infected with spyware because they visited, let’s just say, “questionable” websites.

But wait, it gets better. According to these scam emails, not only did the mysterious hacker infiltrate their devices, but they also managed to hack into their home security cameras, capturing all sorts of inappropriate behavior. The catch? For a mere $2,000 in Bitcoin, the hacker promises to make this "embarrassing" footage disappear, saving you from a very awkward group text.

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Police, naturally, are advising anyone who receives this email to do something incredibly brave: nothing. Don’t send any money, and certainly don’t rush to delete your browsing history in a panic. Instead, report the incident to the police and move on with your day. Scammers are hoping fear will get the better of you – don’t let them win.

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