The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is warning consumers of recent extortion scams.
The DATCP has received an increase in complaints and reports involving extortion scams being sent by email.
Scammers claim to have obtained private and often damaging video recordings of the victim.
They will also include some accurate information about the victim, including home address, often acquired via Google Maps, to make their claims more believable.
The DATCP also states the scammer’s tone will imply they have been monitoring or watching a victim closely and for a long time.
Finally, a scammer threatens to release non-existent information or videos unless their demands are met. These demands are almost always via payment.
Victims of these scams are being told not to panic, ignore the message, never send money, change your password, and alert law enforcement.
To report extortion attempts to the DATCP, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center visit ic3.gov.