Police warn public about new online extortion scam

Police are urging the public to be vigilant after a new form of online fraud has emerged, where scammers attempt to extort money by claiming they have compromising videos of the victims.

According to the Electronic Crime Sub-Division at Police Headquarters, several citizens have reported receiving misleading emails that are extortionate in nature. The emails claim that the perpetrators have hacked into the victim’s computer and internet accounts, recording them while they allegedly watched pornographic content.

In some cases, the scam emails appear to have been sent from the victim’s own email address, a tactic achieved using advanced technology to make the deception seem more convincing.

Authorities emphasize that these emails are fraudulent and are designed to scare victims into paying money to the scammers. The police strongly advise the public not to engage with these messages, avoid any communication with the perpetrators, and refrain from opening any attachments or links included in the emails.

To protect against such scams, the police recommend that citizens take security precautions with their online accounts. This includes enabling two-factor authentication on email accounts, changing passwords regularly, and using reliable security software to scan electronic devices.

The police are continuing to monitor the situation and are working to prevent further incidents of this nature.

See an example of the scam email below (in Greek):