Death Threat Email, Scariest Phishing Attempt Yet

Recently, I was contacted by one of our members regarding some frightening email he received. We all have received spam and phishing attempts in our inboxes, but this message is much more sinister. This scam comes in the form of a death threat, resembling an assassination notification.

This email scam has touched many people, including Florida State Rep. Rob Schenck. You can find the article about it here. Schenck’s commented; “When you read something that disturbing, for a moment you do get concerned. No matter whether it’s fake or not, if someone talks about killing your family, it’s unsettling.”

The message warns of certain death unless the reader sends in large sums of money. The email also states that contacting anyone, including the authorities, will extend the death contract to your family. Some versions of the message even indicate that they will provide you proof of the person who hired the assassin to kill you once you provide them with the money.

This is just scam, if a very frightening one. The sheriff’s office reminds people that “you have to be a willing victim to fall victim… this is just a new scare tactic to get money out of people.” Authorities recommend that you do not click any links or respond to the message, and simply delete it entirely from your mail.

This is a reminder to us all how aggressive and clever identity thieves are. We must remain vigilant, and always scrutinize messages we receive by email, phone, text message, or mail. Trust your instincts and if something doesn’t feel right, listen to that feeling.

Rachel James- Intake Specialist