Authorities warn of personalized email scams in Southern California

Residents in Southern California are reporting being targeted by a specific email scam that authorities say uses personal information to create fear and uses tactics similar to sextortion.

In a release issued by the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office on Friday, investigators explained the scam unnerves victims by starting its emails with a list of the victim’s name, phone number and home address, and that it may even include a photo of the person’s home.

The scammer then writes they’ve hacked into the victim’s computer or phone and monitored their browsing history and habits, highlighting references to porn websites.

The DA’s Office said the scam email typically threatens, “With just a single click, I can send this filth to all your contacts,” attempting to make the victims feel embarrassed and create a sense of urgency.

To close the email, authorities said the scammers use an extortion attempt where they present two alternatives: 

1. They claim that if the email is disregarded, they will send embarrassing information “to all your contacts;”
2. They offer to “wipe everything clean once you come through with a payment,” which is typically about $2,000 payable with “Bitcoins only.”

The DA’s Office warned this is a widespread scam that uses boilerplate language targeting victims nationwide. Authorities also noted that the scammers themselves are often based outside of the country.

Investigators believe the scammers likely obtain their victims’ personal information “from a large-scale data breach, not by hacking the victims’ devices.” 

The release pointed out that images of homes can often be easily obtained through open-source searches such as Google Street View, Zillow or other similar websites.

“It can be very rattling for an unsuspecting victim to receive one of these threatening emails,” said Erik Nasarenko, Ventura County District Attorney. “The best defense against these scammers is being aware of their tactics and taking practical steps to avoid becoming a victim.”

The DA’s Office provided the following practical steps residents can use for protection:

• Like any other scam, it is important not to reply to the suspects. Communicating with the suspects increases the chances of accidentally disclosing personal information the suspect did not have.
• Never click on attachments or links that come from unknown sources.
• Do not readily share personal identifying information such as your full name, address, or social security number online.
• Use two-factor authentication for all accounts that offer it. This adds an extra layer of security.
• Monitor your online social media, email, and banking accounts for suspicious activity.
• Change your passwords regularly and use a unique password for each account.
• If you paid the extortion, notify your bank or financial institutions. Promptly report any unauthorized transactions so they can block or reverse the payments. Report the crime to your local law enforcement.
• Victims can also report scams to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov). This is a user-friendly, FBI-run website for reporting cyber-enabled crime.