*Special Alert* – Extortion Email Scam
A worrying new type of phishing email is going around using stolen data from high-profile websites. These emails include a password that has been used with the user’s email address in the past in an attempt to scare that person into sending the scammer money (typically Bitcoin). Since the emails include personalized information, they appear credible in ways typical phishing emails do not. Typically, the scammer is claiming that they have recorded “compromising activity” and blackmailing the user for their silence.
Within the last year, Facebook, MyHeritage, Ticketfly, Under Armour, and several other high-profile services have been compromised.
