Storm Lake PD warns of email extortion scam

STORM LAKE, Iowa (KCAU) — The Storm Lake Police Department is warning the public about an email scam where the sender threatens to expose the victim's "internet browsing habits."

According to a Facebook post from the department , they've received several reports in the past week of people receiving emails claiming that spyware has been installed on their computer. The messages will also contain pictures of the victims' homes.

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Using this information as blackmail, the scammer will threaten the victim with exposing their internet browsing to other people unless they pay in bitcoin.

Storm Lake officials say that photos of one's home can easily be obtained through websites such as Google Earth. Additionally, any personal information that the scammer says they know is nothing more than easily accessible public information.

The department urges anyone who receives such an email to simply ignore it or delete it.