Cyber crime gang targets victims in ‘sextortion’ scam

Police are warning people about a new scam that threatens to reveal they have been caught watching pornography.

The police have released a warning about this new scam

The public are being warned against a new ‘sextortion’ scam that already has almost 100 victims.

A con email claims footage will be posted online of the victim watching pornography unless they pay a ransom using bitcoin.

There were 16 extortion reports made to Police Scotland overnight on April, with the number rising to 96 by Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Michael McCullagh, of cybercrime investigations, said: “These type of scams aren’t unusual, however, this particular suspect or group has used a similar method and wording in every email and in greater numbers than we normally see.

“The emails show current or legacy passwords belonging to the victim, making the threat seem credible. This is a tactic used by criminals to alarm potential victims.”

Further details on this type of crime and how to protect yourself can be found at scotland.police.uk/keep-safe/keep-secure-online/cybercrime or ncsc.gov.uk/section/advice-guidance/all-topics