Extortion Scam

DATE & TIME: 11-16-2018 @ 9:00 am

LOCATION: Church in rural Gage County

OFFENSE: Extortion Scam

CASE #:  2018-5771

Church officials from a rural Beatrice church contacted a Gage County Sheriff’s Office investigator to report they had received an e-mail from an unknown person attempting to extort $550.00 in Bitcoin from them. The e-mail falsely alleges that church officials viewed pornography and threatened to send this information to people in their contact list, unless the extortion payment was made.

The church official was advised to not make any payments and to have their computer scanned for viruses and checked by a qualified professional for any type of “Trojan Horse” virus, i.e. a computer virus that sneaks into the system and activates at a later time.

The Gage County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to use caution when interacting online and to be aware of scams where the suspect threatens to embarrass them with some type of release of information unless they pay an extortion amount. The power of the suspect relies on a person not wanting to be embarrassed for real or alleged events. Even once a payment is made, there is no guarantee the suspect will not ask for additional money or release the information anyway.

If you receive an extortion in any form, immediately contact your local police department or call the Gage County Sheriff’s Office and ask to speak with an investigator.

Sheriff Millard “Gus” Gustafson #903

Investigator T. Hanson #90310