(St. John’s, NL) October 9, 2024 – The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) has received reports of various email extortion scams where fraudsters are attempting to scare victims into sending money.
The extortion letters contain the full name, personal telephone number, residential address and a screenshot from search engines of the recipient’s residence. The letter then claims the recipient visited explicit websites and threatens to send a copy of a video to the recipients’ contact list unless payment via cryptocurrency is made.
The RNC is reminding the public to:
- Never scan QR Codes from an unknown source
- Ensure that your social media profiles are at the highest privacy levels
- Limit sharing personal details on social media
- Be suspicious of any unsolicited messages or social media requests that accuse you of owing money for a service you never used or planned to have
- Never send money under pressure
- Never reply to threatening messages.
If you receive a threatening message, report it immediately to the RNC at 709-729-8000 or use the online reporting system. Incidents should also be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501.
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Cst. James Cadigan, #775
Public Communications Officer
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
media@rnc.gov.nl.ca
709-729-8658