Blackmail scams on the rise in Oregon, law enforcement warns

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — As the FBI warns against the rise of blackmail scams, local law enforcement organizations in Oregon say they’re getting more and more cases.

The method that’s becoming all too common is often delivered via email. A message may include your name, address or even a street view image of where you live.

One woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told KOIN 6 News a scammer sent her a picture of the wrong house, raising a red flag for her. She said the message read, “I’ve been keeping tabs on your pathetic existence.”

Forward and aggressive emails like these are part of the scam and they often include threats of releasing compromising videos or personal information.

The woman, who lives in Clackamas County, said she’s already reported the attempted scam to the sheriff’s office.

In Washington County, Deputy David Huey said there’ve been several cases like this recently.

“They start building this picture of who you are, just enough to use your information to scare you,” Huey said.

The information can come from public records or even data breaches. The scammers will threaten to visit your home if you don’t pay a ransom, in this case, $2,000. The woman who spoke with KOIN 6 said the scammers asked for the payment in “untraceable” Bitcoin.

Despite the scare tactics, experts say not to give the scammers any of your information. While the threats may seem real at first, they often lack any credibility. You can spot them by the lack of specific details about you, awkward wording and pressing an urgent deadline.

If you get a blackmail email, don’t respond, report it as spam or phishing and don’t pay the requested ransom. In all likelihood, giving the scammer money won’t give you any peace.

“These scammers are evil and you’ll lose money,” the woman said.

Last year, the FBI received 880,000 complaints, a 10% increase from the year before, according to CBS News .

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