Petaluma police are warning residents about emails with attempts to extort money from victims.
In an advisory Tuesday, police said over a dozen Petaluma residents have reported receiving emails during the past several weeks that have the recipient’s name, address, and phone number.
A statement in the message says, “I know calling you at (recipient’s number) or visiting (recipient’s address) would be a (sic) effective way to reach you in case you don’t take action. Don’t try to escape from this. You’ve no idea what I’m capable of in Petaluma.”
Police said that the emails contain a full page alleging that they have captured images of the victim from their camera phone looking at pornographic images and visiting “dark corners of the Internet.”
Victims are also told that malware has been placed onto their cellphone or computer and that their emails, contacts, and social media are already accessible to the sender of the email.
“There is no factual basis for these claims,” said police, adding that it’s just another phishing scam.
According to police, they have no way yet to track down the perpetrator(s) in these cases and that the best thing to do is to discard the email or the letter and avoid contacting the sender.
“We understand that receiving information like this could cause you to be fearful or vulnerable to harassment, but ignore the message and we assure you that this person is not capable of what they are alleging,” police said.
Anyone who comes across such emails is encouraged to contact the Petaluma Police Department at (707) 778-4372.