The latest email/smartphone scam to target the Tri-States includes putting your privacy at risk. I have actually been on the receiving end of several of these very threatening emails. Usually, they make some threats about releasing some form of private information to the public, saying they got it from your laptop, phone, or web‑based camera. Lucky for me, I never felt truly threatened and immediately knew it was a phishing attack. Others in the same circumstance might not be so lucky…
Here’s the deal: you open your inbox, and there’s an email that says something like, “We have footage of you doing embarrassing things, and if you don’t send payment immediately, it goes to everyone in your contacts.” Sometimes they even include your phone number, street address, or a photo of your home pulled from Google Maps.…