CLEVELAND — Westlake police are warning residents not to fall for an email scam targeting residents in an apparent attempt to blackmail them into paying the scammers with Bitcoin or gift cards.
According to a social media post from the Westlake Police Department Friday, investigators are receiving an influx of reports of the scheme, in which fraudsters purport to have obtained personal information including emails, camera rolls and social media accounts. According to screenshots, some emails even include online screenshots of publicly available photos of the victim's home.
"These are mass emailed scams," the police department said. "We have no intel to indicate that the perpetrators are local or even in the USA."
The scammers allegedly attempt to extort victims by threatening to expose "filthy videos" and "embarrassing things in your house" to "every single of your contacts," according to the screenshots. The scammers then demand money via cryptocurrency like Bitcoin or gift cards in exchange for not releasing the information.
"DO NOT PAY DEBTS or BILLS THROUGH BITCOIN OR GIFT CARDS," the department said. "If you have a question about a specific email/pop up/text message please call WPD BEFORE giving out cash."
The Westlake Police Department will give a public presentation on avoiding fraud and scams at the Westlake Community Services auditorium on Oct. 8 at 10 a.m.
