Ridge Meadows RCMP warn of Blackmail, Bitcoin extortion scam

Maple Ridge, B.C. – Ridge Meadows RCMP is warning residents of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows of an ongoing extortion scam after receiving five reports in a three-day span.

In the scam, the claim is to have acquired compromising pictures/videos of the victim and direct them to send money to a Bitcoin wallet or the pictures will be sent to their friends and family.

The scam starts with the suspect sending an email/ or letter in the mail to the victim stating that they have been looking at adult content online and that malware has captured compromising photos of the victims doing so.

The suspect then provides a photo of the victim’s house (google street image) along with other personal details proving that they know where the victim lives. The suspect then demands a $2,000 payment to be made immediately via Bitcoin wallet or they will release the photos to family and friends.

Thankfully in all of the five reported cases, the victims did not comply with the demands and called police immediately. We are asking residents to exercise caution to avoid falling victim to this scam and report these scams through our online crime reporting tool, or by calling non-emergency.

Protect yourself On the Internet:

• Do not give out personal information or information about your computer.
• Do not open email, files, or links from people you do not know and trust.
• Be very mindful in sharing information on Personal Accounts or Websites

If you are a victim of extortion:

• Immediately stop all communication. Deactivate (but don’t delete) any of the accounts you are using to communicate with the individual.
• Do not comply with the threat. In other words, never pay money and never send additional nudes. The situation will not get better by doing either of these things.
• If you have sent money, check to see if it has been collected and, if not, quickly cancel the payment.
• Make a police report.
• Keep the correspondence. Keep information such as the person’s username(s), social media account information, a copy of the communications, along with any images and/or videos that were sent.
• Talk to a trusted adult or counsellor.

To learn more about the Ridge Meadows RCMP’s online crime reporting tool, visit: https://ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ridgemeadows/en/Faq

Released by

Cst. Tisha Parsons
Media Relations Officer
Ridge Meadows RCMP
11990 Haney Place Maple Ridge, BC V2X 9B8
Office: 604-476-6917
Email: tisha.parsons@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: ridgemeadows.rcmp.ca (English only)