Officials with the Better Business Bureau are now warning people of a new scam that would revel videos or pictures of very private moments.

The BBB said this scam threats to reveal images or videos of the victim or the internet history of sites the victim had visited if they don't pay the scammer.

The scammer claims they hacked into the victims computer to get the information and they will share it with the person family and friends if the payment isn't made.

In most cases, the BBB said the threat is empty and that the scammer does not have any information. They also said there are several ways to spot the scam:

  • The scammer does not provide any details about what site you supposedly visited.
  • The scammer cannot support their threat with any evidence, for example, a compromising screenshot to prove they have the information they claim.
  • The scammer requests an urgent ransom be paid in gift cards, bitcoins or wire transfer.

The BBB also gave out some tips on how to protect yourself against these scammers:

  • Never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are—or who they say they are.
  • Try searching the web for one or two sentences from the email to confirm it is actually spam.
  • No matter what the email threatens, do not respond. Also, delete the email.
  • Do not open attachments or click links in emails from people you do not know. Doing so could lead you to a fake website designed to trick you into giving up personal information or you may download malware to your computer or mobile device.
  • Never send money, buy a gift card or do anything to comply with the demands in the email.
  • Do a security check on your computer and install security software.
  • Enable two-factor authentication on your important accounts.
  • Change passwords often and consider getting a password manager to ensure your passwords are strong and unique. Avoid using ‘password’, ‘Password123’, ‘12345’, and other most commonly used passwords.
  • To give you peace of mind, keep webcams covered when you are not using them

Again, if you have received any of these threats, contact the local authorities.

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