New Zealand law issued an warning on April 13 regarding a crypto-related scam that threatens victims with release of information on their porn use.

According to a report published in the NZ Herald, the authorities say that the scammers extort victims through electronic mail. The scammers merits to have obtained information nearly the targeted victim'due south consumption of pornography and threaten to leak that information if victims do non pay a ransom of NZ$1,900 (U.s.a.$i,150) in Bitcoin (BTC).

Victims receive an alert from the fraudsters, in which they clinch that they take hacked the user's computer and spied on internet action, mainly focused on adult content videos. The scammers threaten to share that information with family and friends.

Scammers threaten to leak fake data from victims

However, co-ordinate to Callum McNeil, a senior sergeant detective, the victims are forced to give in to the fraudsters' claims after being pressured with imitation claims that they have information obtained from their calculator webcams.

In some scam emails, fraudsters as well claim to have obtained passwords used by victims.

McNeil also highlights that this type of fraud is not new, nor is it the beginning time that it has targeted New Zealand residents. Such scams have circulated for at least 2 years. Withal, the fact that they are asking for ransoms in Bitcoins is a new evolution that Waitemata Law are investigating.

The detective recommends that when a user receives such an electronic mail, they should delete it immediately. He added the following:

"Nosotros ask anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam and take transferred money to contact police by phoning 105."

Crypto-related blackmailing scams increasing in the UK

Crypto-related scams take gained momentum around the world in recent months, in part fueled by the COVID-nineteen pandemic.

In a report published on March 19, British law also warned of about 562 cases of Bitcoin-related blackmail in the final two years.