Police Warn of Bitcoin Scam Threatening to Expose Private Information

Hillsborough and Campbell, California, residents have been alerted to a new email scam, according to local police departments. Scammers are sending emails containing personal details and photos of victims’ homes, threatening to release private information unless they pay $2,000 in bitcoin. The email warns recipients to pay “confidentiality charges” or risk having personal footage shared with their contacts. The sender claims, “My word is my bond,” and sets a one-day deadline for payment. Authorities believe the scammers use Google images to pull photos of homes. Hillsborough and Campbell police advise residents to avoid opening suspicious emails and not to click on any links. Similar warnings were issued by Campbell police last week about identical email threats targeting residents.