Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 9:35 AM
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Bitcoin blackmail scam hits Santa Clara County
Original post made on Aug 15, 2018
Read the full story here Web Link posted Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 9:35 AM
Comments (3)
Posted by Alex M
a resident of Willowgate
on Aug 15, 2018 at 4:48 pm
a resident of Willowgate
on Aug 15, 2018 at 4:48 pm
Seems like a pretty low-yield scam to me. Most people don't own any bitcoins. It would be more effective if they demanded cash.
Posted by Resident
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Aug 15, 2018 at 9:55 pm
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Aug 15, 2018 at 9:55 pm
Bitcoin is just a means to steal dollars. The scammer expects the victim to buy some Bitcoin to pay them off, the point isn't to target people who already hold Bitcoin. There are lots of places that will sell you some bitcoin. They're asking for Bitcoins because it's very difficult to track who is on the receiving end.
Posted by Darin
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Aug 16, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Darin is a registered user.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Aug 16, 2018 at 5:35 pm
Darin is a registered user.
@Alex M
I heard a more complete report on the radio that indicated that the blackmail letter included instructions for buying bitcoins and transferring them to the blackmailer. As Resident indicated, they aren't targeting bitcoin owners. They're just using bitcoins as a payment mechanism.
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