Pennsylvania Attorney General warns of trending sextortion cyber fraud

PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry issued a warning about a trending sextortion cyber scheme.

The Attorney General’s Office said emails with images of peoples’ homes or streets are being sent alongside an alarming message. It involves a demand from the criminal for the target to pay to not have alleged explicit materials publicized.

“In reality, the criminals likely do not have any of the materials they allege. Photos of a target’s home or street can be found via Google Maps. While most criminals are lying about being in possession of personal, explicit materials, it is possible they may not be. It is important to be vigilant about what you share on social media, by text message, or by email, as criminals can use that information to threaten targets,” Henry said.

Henry also advises those targeted by the scheme to not scan the QR Code and not communicate with the cyber criminal.

The Attorney General’s Office offers the following tips to keep yourself safe from sextortion:

• When speaking to someone online, search their name to see if it’s been reported to have been used in a prior crime or if it’s the name of a famous person.
• Never send compromising or explicit images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are – or who they say they are.
• Search the internet for one or two sentences from the email to confirm it is actually spam.
• No matter what the email threatens, do not respond and delete the email.
• Do not open attachments or click links in emails from people you do not know. Doing so leaves you vulnerable to identity theft and malware.
• Never send money or buy a gift card, or do anything to comply with the demands in the email.
• Do a security check on your computer and install security software.
• Enable two-factor authentication on your important accounts.
• Change passwords often, and consider getting a password manager to ensure your passwords are strong and unique.
• Cover your webcam when not in use to give you peace of mind.
• Check to see if your email was compromised in a security breach and change passwords as necessary.
• Never answer your phone unless you recognize the number. If it is a legitimate call, the person will leave a voicemail.

If you or someone you know believes they are a victim of phishing sextortion or financially motivated sextortion, immediately report the activity to law enforcement.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2024 Cox Media Group