The New York State Police is warning the public of a nationwide automated sextortion scam in which scammers use people’s email address to coerce payments using intimidation and threats of embarrassment.

Scammers obtain emails and other personal information purchased illegally on the dark web to contact victims, stating that they have the victim’s personal information, and often will include a photo of the victim’s residence, and instructions to make payment in Bitcoin to avoid repercussions.

The scammers will also threaten to publicly embarrass and convince the victim that they have installed software on their phone, tablet, or computer, have access to their personal accounts and are tracking their internet use.

To get the victim to act quickly, the scammer claims they possess images of the victim viewing pornographic material and threatens to disclose this content to everyone in their contact list within 24‐48 hours unless they pay in Bitcoin to have the content deleted.

Despite these claims, the scammer does not have access to the victim’s device or personal information.

If you receive one of these emails, do not engage or share any personal information such as birthdates, phone numbers, social security numbers or any financial information.

Victims should block the sender, delete the email, and report it through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) www.ic3.gov.

If someone believes that they are the victim of sextortion or identity theft, the FBI encourages them to report it by contacting their local FBI office or calling 1‐800‐CALL‐FBI. The New York State Police (NYSP) or local law enforcement agencies can also assist with criminal investigations.