Police warn extortion letters and emails are a scam

A new scam is being reported in communities across the country.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre shared a photo of one of the extortion letters on Friday.

The writer accuses the victim of visiting adult websites and, as a result, they were able to gain access to the victim’s computer.

“I can look at everything on your display, flick on your camera and mic, and you wouldn’t even notice,” it reads. “Oh, and I’ve got access to all your emails, contacts and social media accounts too.”

They also state that they have incriminating images and video of the victim and they’re prepared to share them if they don’t pay the ransom.

“With simply a single click, I can send this filth to every single [one] of your contacts,” the letter claims.

It directs the reader to send $2,000 USD to a Bitcoin account.

The writer insists that once the money is sent they’ll “allow you to move on with your life and wipe your slate clean.”

“I can’t even fathom the humiliation you’ll face when your colleagues, friends and [family] see it,” the letter states. “But hey, that’s life, isn’t it? Don’t be playing the victim here.”

The writer also claims to have “good intentions.”

“The CAFC received reports across Canada of extortion letters sent to email accounts,” the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said in a social media post.

Similar scams have also been reported to police, at least two in Guelph, Ont. over the past week.

“In both cases the victim received emails demanding payment via Bitcoin, with the scammers claiming they had accessed the victim’s webcams and recorded incriminating videos,” a media release said from the Guelph Police Service. “Both victims also received Google Street View images of their street, though both appeared to be old images.”

They were unaware of any connection between the victims.

“It is not known if their information was stolen during a data breach or if the scammers used open sources to obtain their information,” police said.

Similar scams were also reported in both Hamilton and Peel Region in Ontario.

All scams can be reported to local police services and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, using their online reporting system or calling 1-888-495-8501.