East Brunswick police alert residents to new scam involving threats, ransom demands

EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. (PIX11) — The East Brunswick Police Department is warning residents to be on alert for a new scam containing a threatening letter.

The scam is not isolated to East Brunswick and has been reported throughout the tri-state area and beyond.

The scam email includes the recipient’s name, address, phone number, and a photo attachment of the person’s residence. This image is often a ‘street view’ image, such as one you can find on Google Earth.

In the letter, the scammers claim to have installed a spyware program called ‘Pegasus’ on the victim’s phone and threaten to release embarrassing information about the victim’s browser history if they do not pay a ransom.

The tone of the email is ominous and may contain phrases such as, “I can peep at everything on your screen” and “been keeping tabs on your pathetic life for a while now.”

The email demands payment in Bitcoin within one day, or the scammers threaten to release embarrassing information to everyone in the victim’s contact list.

The victim is usually given a QR to scan and make payment.

The East Brunswick Police Department said several residents had received suspicious emails. The department outlined best practices for handling such scams, including never sending money to someone you do not know, have never met in person, or who demands immediate payment. Do not provide personal information over the phone, via text or on the Internet unless you have initiated the contact.

Residents are asked to contact their local police department to file a report. East Brunswick residents can call the department directly at (732) 390-6900.

Anyone who receives a scam letter of this nature can also file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center – also known as IC3 – run by the FBI .

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