Saint John police warn of extortion email fraud that includes recipient's personal information

Police in Saint John, N.B., are warning the public about an extortion email fraud in the area.

The Saint John Police Force says the extortion letters contain:

• the recipient's full name
• the recipient's personal telephone number
• the recipient's personal residential address
• a screenshot from search engines of the recipient's residence

The letter claims the recipient has visited explicit websites and threatens to send a copy of a video to the recipient's contact list unless payment via cryptocurrency is made.

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Police say a variation of the letter may also contain a QR code.

Like other extortion scams, fraudsters are trying to scare the victims into sending funds. Extortion scams are defined as “when someone unlawfully obtains money, property or services from a person, entity, or institution through coercion.”

Protecting yourself from this scam

Police provided a number of safety suggestions to protect yourself from becoming a victim of this type of fraud, including:

- Do not scan QR codes provided by an unknown source. They could infect your device.

-If you received a threatening message, report it to your local police immediately.

-Remember fraudsters use high-pressure intimidation tactics to try to steal your money.

-Ensure your social media profiles are at the highest privacy levels.

-Limit sharing personal details on social media.

-Should you believe any of your personal information has been compromised, you are encouraged to contact Equifax and TransUnion to flag your accounts.

-Be suspicious of any unsolicited messages or social media requests, including those that are threatening or accuse you of owing money for a service you never used or planned to have.

-Do not send money under pressure.

-Do not reply to threatening messages.

-Learn more tips on how to protect yourself.

Here is an example of what an extortion email fraud could look like

An example of an extortion email fraud. (Saint John Police Force)

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