‘It was very unnerving’: Ontario woman receives sextortion email demanding Bitcoin or have compromising photos leaked
CTV
An Ontario woman is feeling uneasy after she received a sextortion email demanding she pay the fraudster US$1,900 in Bitcoin or risk having compromising photographs of herself shared with her loved ones.
An Ontario woman is feeling uneasy after she received a sextortion email demanding she pay the fraudster US$1,900 in Bitcoin or risk having compromising photographs of herself shared with her loved ones.
"It's very unnerving, it's very upsetting. They had my name, address, email, cell phone and a picture of the street on which my home is," said Alexandra. CTV News agreed not to disclose her last name.
York Regional Police (YRP) issued a news release last month warning locals about an ongoing sextortion scam after hearing from residents in the community. Police in Hamilton and Peel Region also warned residents of the same scam.
Sextortion scams intimidate victims to pay fraudsters money or risk having embarrassing images of themselves to their family and friends. Fraudsters typically claim they're spying on the victim and have recorded proof that they have looked at inappropriate material online, including pornography.
Alexandra told CTV News Toronto that she received an email that her computer had been taken over remotely, and compromising video and images of herself had been recorded.
"They said they had my browsing history, and they had photos of me viewing inappropriate sites and that they were going to disclose that," said Alexandra.
In the email, viewed by CTV News, it said: "I can't even fathom the humiliation you'll face when your colleagues, friends and family see it."
