Fraudsters sending emails with false child pornography allegations
Criminals are currently distributing fraudulent emails in which they accuse recipients of child pornography among other things and demand payment of hush money.
Fraudsters sending emails with false child pornography allegations
Unknown perpetrators are currently distributing fraudulent emails in which they accuse recipients of serious crimes such as child pornography, paedophilia and indecent exposure. The messages are designed to look like official correspondence.
The sender identifies himself as "General Jean-Philippe Lecouffe" and claims to be a brigade commander at Europol. The email states that an investigation has been initiated. Recipients are given a deadline of 48 hours to respond by email. Those who respond are threatened with arrest, entry into a register for sexual offenders and disclosure of their data to the media.
The fraudsters' aim is to intimidate those contacted and pressure them into paying so-called "fines or hush money". However, the alleged offences for which money is being demanded were never committed.
The police strongly advise: such emails should be deleted and under no circumstances answered. Even if the sender has an impressive name and holds a high title, this does not mean the letter is genuine. Often the homepage or email addresses also appear unusual.
Source: Kronen Zeitung
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)