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Written by Tim Gobble, Sheriff
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Thursday, 03 April 2008 |
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Email scams are becoming more and more popular with crooks because of the ease in which they can extort and/or trick innocent people out of their savings without getting up from their computer or leaving the comfort of their home.
Computer users are encouraged to update their security software from time to time and be mindful of the spam that routinely appears in their email in-box. Needless to say, never click on an email link unless you know who is sending the link. And even then, think twice.
 You probably already know about the scammers who send realistic-looking documents claiming to be a representative of your bank or credit union or even the IRS. Sometimes they tell you there is a problem with your account that needs immediate attention, sometimes they tell you there is money in your account you don’t know about. But they always want you to send them information about yourself, or they want you to click on a link they have provided.
Then there are the scammers who want to give you millions of dollars if you will help them get billions out of another country or a foreign bank. Scammers have also use phony E-Bay account updates sent out to thousands of people, even though many of the people who receive them have never used E-Bay before and do not have accounts there. Again, they want your info or they want you to click on a link they provide.
All of these scams are designed to either get you to send money to a crook, or they are attempts by crooks to get their hands on your personal information so they can assume your identity, open charge accounts in your name, make purchases with your credit cards, and otherwise pilfer your banking and savings accounts. If you are fooled by any of these ruses, you are a victim of crime. And you are not alone.
But the latest scam to come down the pike is one of the most brazen yet, and plays on an emotion many people have no control over ~ fear. It is blatant, heartless and effective. The basic premise of this latest email scam is to notify a person that a hit man has accepted a contract to kill them. The email appears to be a warning and offers the potential victim one way out: They can save their life and the hit will be called off if they will pay the hit man an amount of money equal to or higher than the amount offered for the hit. The total is usually several thousand dollars and the question is ~ How much is your life worth?
This new email scam actually occurred recently in neighboring Hamilton County when a Hixon woman received one of these extortion threats. Like most of us, she is accustomed to receiving Internet spam and routinely sifts through the mail in her in-box and deletes the spam. But the death threat caught her attention. Needless to say, she was unnerved and frightened.
As she read the email, she found it increasingly difficult to believe. The idea that someone would hire a professional hit man to kill her was something she would expect to have happen on a TV show, not in her real life. She could not imagine why she would receive such a threat or why anyone who want her dead, so she did the appropriate thing ~ she immediately picked up the phone and called the police.
Apparently this extortion scam first appeared in December and was brought to the attention of the FBI shortly thereafter. After receiving over a hundred complaints, the bureau issued a press release in early January. The FBI says the basic intent of the email is to extort thousands of dollars from its victims. And although that amount varies, some extortion demands have been as high as $20,000.
The scammer adds authenticity to their demand by providing the first names of family members, the victim’s work address, marital status and other personal information. In addition, there is often a warning, such as, “Tell me now you are ready to do what I said or do you want me to proceed with my job? Answer Yes / No and don’t ask any questions.” Often, the scammer warns the victim that the assassin has been following them without their knowledge. Obviously, this type of extortion scam can be intimidating and even devastating , especially for an elderly person or anyone living alone.
If you receive such an email, do not be taken in by the threats. Contact the BCSO immediately at (423) 728-7300. Detective Dewayne Scoggins of the BCSO Criminal Investigations Division is trained to investigate Internet crimes such as the one I have described. He is available and eager to help if you receive any type of death threat through your email.
Extortion, even in the form of an email, is against the law and anyone who is guilty of such a crime can be prosecuted in court to the fullest extent of the law. I am not aware of any extortion emails that have made their way to Bradley County, but if they are showing up in other parts of the country, it may not be long before our citizens are targeted.As always, if the BCSO can help in any way, contact us at the number listed above. To find out more, log on to: www.bradleysheriff.com, or contact me personally at comments@bradleysheriff.com. |
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Last Updated ( Monday, 07 April 2008 )
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