Bitcoin sextortion scams are so 2018, right? Well, there are some hackers out there that would beg to differ.
It appears that residents of Norton, a small town in Kansas, US, are being targeted by scammers threatening to release sensitive material unless the victims pay a Bitcoin ransom. It’s not clear if this was an intentionally localized attack, or if others have been affected.
Norton Kansas Police Department published a public notice to their Facebook page warning locals of the danger earlier today.
Norton residents have been reporting an email, in which the hacker claims to have remote control over their victims’ computer. The hacker claims to have used this to steal personal data, and video their victims enjoying some personal time while watching pornography.
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The hacker further says they also have screen captures of what the victim was watching at the time. For some, this might be enough to push them over the edge and meet the hacker’s demands.
For $800, paid in Bitcoin, the hacker promises not to release their victims’ sensitive information.
Thankfully though, those targeted have remained courageous and it doesn’t look like anyone has fallen for this heinous scam. At the time of writing, the wallet address listed in the email remains empty.
Last year victims weren’t so savvy. In another Bitcoin sextortion scam, a hacker’s address earned over $17,000 in a few days.
As Norton police suggest, if you receive an email like this, ignore it. It should go without saying, don’t open any links and certainly don’t send any Bitcoin to the address listed in the email.
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