Wilmington Police Warn Of Bitcoin Extortion Scam

WILMINGTON, MA — Wilmington police warned Saturday of an extortion scam they have received reports of recently. The department shared a warning by the Portsmouth, N.H. Police Department about the scheme.

“If you receive emails like this, please do not make any payments or click on any links,” the department recommended. “Just delete the message.”

In the scam, the scammer claims to have installed spyware that collected an embarrassing video of the target. The scammer demands that the victim make a $2000 “donation” in the form of bitcoin. In exchange, the scammer will delete the video.

An example of the full scam email is available below:

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.