Concord PD Warn About 'Sextortion' Phishing Scam

CONCORD, MA — Concord police are warning residents about a 'sextortion' phishing scam. Victims get an email from a purported hacker who claims to have an embarrassing photo of them and threatens to send the photo to the victims friends and family if they don't pay a ransom. The ransom is usually $2,000.

The department said over the past week they have received several reports of the scam from residents. Police said the scam is particularly convincing because scammers have been able to get a hold of legitimate usernames and passwords of the victim. The information may be old, but using real usernames or passwords that the victim has used at one time makes the scam seem more believable.

Police are reminding residents that the most important thing to do if you receive an email similar to this, is to never pay the ransom.

Concord police offered the following tips to stay safe from scammers:

• If the password emailed to you by the scammers is a password you currently use for any type of account, stop using it and change it immediately.
  • For information on creating strong passwords, enabling two-factor authentication for online accounts or securely storing your passwords, click here.
• Never respond to the email.
• Don't open emails from people you don't know or don't expect an email from. Pay close attention to the subject line, email address and grammar as these are often preliminary ways to tell that an email is a scam.
• If an email, email attachment or link seems suspicious, do not open it, even if antivirus software indicates that it is safe.
• Consider covering your computer's camera to prevent unauthorized use or hacking. Electrical tape or a similar material will often work for this purpose.

"Though this phishing scam is through an email, it's important to remember that phishing attacks can also be via text or social media, so it's important to always be cautious of unknown numbers, suspicious links or other things that may indicate a scam," Chief O'Connor said. "No matter how convincing a phishing attack may be, do not respond, do not pay the ransom and contact the police department right away."