ONLINE EXTORTION SCAMS INCREASING DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has seen an increase in reports of online extortion scams during the current "stay-at-home" orders due to the COVID-19 crisis. Because large swaths of the population are staying at home and likely using the computer more than usual, scammers may use this opportunity to find new victims and pressure them into sending money. The scammers are sending e-mails threatening to release sexually explicit photos or personally compromising videos to the individual's contacts if they do not pay. While there are many variations of these online extortion attempts, they often share certain commonalities.

SCAM COMMONALITIES:

Online extortion schemes vary, but there are a few common indicators of the scam. The following characteristics are not all-inclusive but should serve as red flags. It is important to remember that scammers adapt their schemes to capitalize on current events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, high-profile breaches, or new trends involving the Internet, all in an attempt to make their scams seem more authentic.

• The online extortion attempt comes as an e-mail from an unknown party and, many times, will be written in broken English with grammatical errors.
• The recipient's personal information is noted in the e-mail or letter to add a higher degree of intimidation to the scam. For example, the recipient's user name or password is provided at the beginning of the e-mail or letter.
• The recipient is accused of visiting adult websites, cheating on a spouse, or being involved in other compromising situations.
• The e-mail or letter includes a statement like, "I had a serious spyware and adware infect your computer," or "I have a recorded video of you" as an explanation of how the information was allegedly gathered.
• The e-mail or letter threatens to send a video or other compromising information to family, friends, coworkers, or social network contacts if a ransom is not paid.
• The e-mail or letter provides a short window to pay, typically 48 hours.
• The recipient is instructed to pay the ransom in Bitcoin, a virtual currency that provides a high degree of anonymity to the transactions.

TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF:

The FBI does not condone the payment of online extortion demands as the funds will facilitate continued criminal activity, including potential organized crime activity and associated violent crimes.

VICTIM REPORTING:

If you believe you have been a victim of this scam, reach out to your local FBI field office, and file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Please provide any relevant information in your complaint, including the online extortion e-mail with header information and Bitcoin address if available

COVID-19 Related Scams - How to Protect Yourself

Numerous scams are being reported by both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

The goal of these scams is to acquire personal identification and financial information for fraudulent access to financial accounts. These scams are being tailored toward both the anticipated government stimulus program that will provide many Americans with payments as well as virus-related information.

Individuals seeking information about the stimulus/relief program to contact the specific government agency via its website for guidance. Individuals should follow protocols published by those government websites. During this time, it is stressed that the public maintain an increased vigilance when providing any personal identification information, bank account information, and any other protected information.

The best defense against any type of scam is education and awareness. Please take a minute to review the helpful reminders below and keep yourself protected. It is also important to share this information with family and friends, especially those who may be targeted more heavily such as elderly family members:

1. The government will not ask you to pay anything to receive funds from their anticipated stimulus plan. There will not be fees or charges associated.
2. The government already has the information they need to process any payments. They will not request your social security number, bank account information, or credit card number.
3. Scammers are sending fraudulent information via various methods including SMS/text messages, robocalls, and other messaging platforms prompting you to click links and enter information that seems harmless such as postal zip codes. These are scams.
4. Be aware of fraudulent emails claiming to be from a government organization. If you receive an email claiming to be from the WHO or CDC, don’t click on any links provided. Instead, go directly to the respective website through a separate search engine to verify information.
5. Hang up on tech support calls. If you receive a call from someone claiming to be a Microsoft technician (or any technician) informing that you have a virus on your system, hang up. This is a scam.
6. Do not rush to donate to charities or crowdfunding sites. Please do your homework and research charities and organizations to verify validity and never provide a donation by cash, gift card, or wire.
7. Do not click on any links from sources you do not know. Clicking fraudulent links can download viruses to your computer or device.
8. Ignore online offers for vaccinations. There currently are no vaccines, pills, lotions, prescriptions or over-the-counter medications or products available to treat or cure the COVID-19 virus.

Please visit the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) www.ftc.gov to sign up for alerts and for up-to-date information.