The University’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) sent UA students an email on June 7 warning them of an extortion email scheme, as well as a phone scam that could affect students and faculty. 

According to a security alert posted on OIT’s website, the email scheme was reported in a public service announcement by the FBI. According to the June 1 announcement, multiple individuals have reported extortion attempts via email in which the recipients were informed that their personal information- such as their phone number, address and credit card information- would be released to their family, friends and social media contacts if a ransom is not paid. The recipient is asked to pay the ransom in Bitcoin, a virtual currency in which transactions possess a high level on anonymity. The recipients are typically given a short deadline, and asked to pay anywhere from 2-5 Bitcoins, which is currently valued between $250 and $1,200.

In the announcement, the FBI lists some examples of these extortion emails and advises everyone to, among other things, not open emails or attachments from unknown sources, not communicate with the subject and to use strong passwords for better security.

In addition to the email extortion attempt, the IRS recently warned taxpayers of a telephone scam in which impersonators claim to be members of the IRS. During the call, these con artists tell the individual that they owe money and could face arrest, suspension of a business or drivers license if they do not cooperate.

The FBI advises individuals who believe they have been victims of the email scam to contact their local FBI office and file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov and include any relevant information.