Easton Police say email "sextortion" scams are on the rise, targeting people due to them being home during the COVID-19 Pandemic.  Victims have received an email that claims their computer has been hacked and that the scammer has obtained intimate recordings of them.

Some versions of the scam have included the person’s password for an online account or may appear to have been sent from the person’s own email address.  The scammer threatens to send the footage to the person’s contacts unless a payment is made, often as Bitcoin. 

Police say this is also a phishing scam with hackers hoping that out of 1 million e-mails sent, 1000 people fall for the scam. It’s unlikely your account has actually been compromised however Police say it’s a good idea to update your password. If the email included a password, Police caution that it is most likely from a large scale data breach from one of the many effected companies.

If you have transferred and lost money due to this scam, contact the Easton Police Department at 203-268-4111 and speak with an officer on duty.