Nanaimo RCMP are warning everyone about potential scams involving Bitcoin payments.
Numerous reports have come in from residents about unknown emails to them saying they had compromising videos and photos of them, and they would be sent to their entire contact list if a Bitcoin payment was not sent to them.
The first case came earlier in the year from a Gmail account saying they obtained the images from the victims’ online activities.
Steps on how to send the $1,950 in Bitcoin were attached to the email, along with a street view of the address of the victim’s house.
The next came in September, when another person reported a different Gmail account contacted them with the same kind of message, asking for $2,000 in Bitcoin.
This time the victim’s full name was attached the email and their phone number to go along with a google street view of their property.
The final case came recently from a man who said his wife received an email detailing the same information as previous incidents with a Bitcoin payment request and a google street view of their home.
The couple believed the hacker obtained their info after the company the wife works at had their personnel database hacked into recently.
In all scenarios the email was ignored and deleted but reported to RCMP to warn others about the false incidents.
Anyone who has information on the incidents or has experienced something similar on their own is asked to contact Nanaimo RCMP.
