KLTV 7 News Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville |7 On Your Side: Disturbing Email Scam Threatening To Kill You
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It's dominating the way we communicate. Even to those who live or work merely steps away from us.
The information superhighway connects internet users around the globe. Many of them with bad intentions.
"A majority of the scams we're getting originate in Canada, Great Britain, places in Africa," says Sergeant Darren Grissom with Tyler Police.
Sergeant Grissom says calls come in to his department daily about scams. But this latest one 7 On Your Side has learned of, not only preys on your bank account, but also on fear.
It's an email, supposedly from a hired hitman saying they've been following your every move for days.
"I have been paid $50,000 in advance to terminate you..." the email says.
The hitman goes on to say they will meet you at your home or office and goes for the kill asking for a large sum of cash.
The email says, "...you will need to pay $20,000 to the account I will provide for you..."
The extortion scheme continues where the hitman promises to give you a tape of the person who arranged your hit to take to the authorities.
In exchange for the tape, an additional $60,000 needs to be handed over from you, paying this hitman a total of $80,000 of your hard-earned money.
Is it a scam? Of course. A surprise to authorities? No.
"I think it's just a natural progression. You have people start off with the sob stories wanting money for a sick relative, then you have the get rich things and now I would guess it's just going to be the next step that they'll start threatening people," says Grissom.
Grissom says there have been no reports of anyone in Tyler receiving an email like this. But heed the warning because if you fall for it Grissom says, "The odds of you getting your money back are minuscule. It probably won't happen."
Your best attack for this supposed hitman, is to just press "delete."
Sgt. Grissom says there may be some laws in place that make this a crime, but because these emails originate from other countries, they would have no jurisdiction to file charges.
Christine Nelson reporting. cnelson@kltv.com
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