The Storm Lake Police Department says they have received multiple reports over the past several days of an email extortion scam involving a threat to “expose internet browsing habits” of the recipient.
The scam involves the email sender claiming to have installed spyware, often referred to as Pegasus, on the recipients’ computer and demanding payment by Bitcoin or they will expose their internet browsing habits to others. The scam also involves the sender including a picture of the recipient’s property or home, and threatens to contact them in person if they don’t comply.
The Storm Lake Police Department warns that this IS a scam. The scammers can obtain public information about the name and address of the recipients, and can easily obtain photographs of their home through public websites such as “Google Earth.” Storm Lake Police advise residents who receive these emails to simply ignore and/or delete them.
