Over the past year or so, the type of crime associated with Bitcoin scammers has evolved in an unpredictable and somewhat frightening manner. While we’re used to seeing stories involving hackers freezing the computers of unsuspecting users and demanding payment in Bitcoin in order to unlock it, a new group of scammers have started threatening deadly violence on their targets.
As noted by The Verge, a number of police departments are alerting the public to a particularly treacherous scam that has targeted users all across the US. Here’s how it all works: a scam artist will fire off an email to someone in a particular building and relay that someone with a bomb is on the premises. The recipient is then instructed to make a large Bitcoin payment — sometimes to the tune of $20,000 — in order to prevent the detonation of the explosive device.
BGR Top Deals:
- The one Sonos speaker missing from Black Friday and Cyber Week deals is finally on sale
- Today’s top deals: Sony headphones, $250 iPad, Instant Pot, Nest, Philips Hue, $25 Fire TV Stick, more
Trending Right Now:
- Vitaminwater will pay you $100,000 if you give up your smartphone for a full year
- ‘Avengers: Endgame’ might not need time travel to undo the ‘Infinity War’ deaths
- Monster Galaxy S10 leak reveals new details about the phone, including launch dates and pricing
Bitcoin scammers are now using bomb threats as a scare tactic across the US originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 13 Dec 2018 at 16:43:42 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read more here:: Boy Genius Report