Scam Alert
Over the past few days the Ridgefield Police Department has received multiple complaints regarding threatening letters received by residents. The letters indicate that a family member or someone close to the recipient will be killed if money is not sent. The recipient is instructed to send money by a certain date/time to a specific Bitcoin account which is listed in the letter. The monetary value that has been requested ranges from $2000.00 to $7000.00 and at the time of this release no financial losses have been reported. All of the letters received have been typed and instruct the recipient not to contact anyone including law enforcement. The letters also specifically name members of the recipients’ families including their children. All of the letters are written exactly the same except the names of the recipients and family members have been changed accordingly. The envelopes have the recipients name and address typed on a label affixed to the front and no return address listed. The envelopes are postmarked from different locations within the United States. Ridgefield Police Detectives have been in contact with the FBI and Inspectors from the U.S. Postal Service regarding this case.
If people are unfamiliar with Bitcoins, they are essentially a form of currency that operates electronically. They are purchased online through Bitcoin exchanges and allow people to buy or sell them in different currencies. Bitcoins are stored in what is known as the users “electronic wallet” and the names of the buyers and sellers are never revealed.
At this time there have been no credible threats and all evidence indicates that this is nothing more than a scam. We want to reassure the public that no one is in any danger and that these incidents are being thoroughly investigated. Remember that personal data can be easily obtained through various searches and websites on the internet. Anyone who receives one of these letters is asked to contact the Ridgefield Police Department at 203-438-6531.