Halifax Regional Police is warning the public about an email extortion scam that has surfaced in the Halifax-area.

At 11:44 a.m. on January 23, police responded to a report from a man that he had received a threatening email early that morning. The email is addressed to the man and states that the sender has hired someone to kill him but the hit will be called off if he makes a payment. Investigators with the Criminal Investigation Division determined that the threat was not legitimate and the email was a common extortion scam known as the “hitman” scam.

Police remind citizens to be wary of any calls or emails that attempt to frighten you into providing money or personal information. If you receive an extortion email, don’t send any payment and report the matter to police by calling 902-490-5020 if you fear for your safety. You should also refrain from providing personal information such as your Social Insurance Number (SIN) or date of birth as this could lead to identity theft.

Follow @HRPFraudCop on Twitter, visit the https://www.halifax.ca/fire-police/police/crime-prevention-tips/fraud-prevention or http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/index-eng.htm for more fraud prevention information.

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Source: Media Release