Tuesday, May 07, 2019 - Woodstock Police Service would like to remind the public
of an email/text message extortion scam that is continuing to reach citizens in
Woodstock.
Email/Text Extortion Scam
A scam email is threatening a video containing explicit content of the victim will
be made public if they do not pay a fee immediately. Consumers are receiving emails
from scammers citing a password that they are currently using or previously used
as proof that they have hacked their computer while they were visiting a pornographic
site and as a result, access to the webcam was gained and all proceedings were recorded.
Reports to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre suggests that no actual video exists and
the passwords being cited have been obtained from previous data breaches.
Safety Tips:
- Do not open the message or click links within the message
- Delete the message
- Change your passwords every few months
- Make your passwords long and strong (include lower and upper case letters, number
and symbols)
Police recommend you report this type of fraud to police if you are a victim of
fraud and have provided personal information or paid money in any form.
The WOODSTOCK POLICE SERVICE would like to encourage everyone to report information
about scams and frauds to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at www.antifraudcentre.ca
or 1-888-495-8501. If you are a victim of a scam or fraud contact WOODSTOCK POLICE
SERVICE at 519-537-2323.
Contact Information: