Bitcoin scammers wreak havoc with bomb threats

Australian individuals, organisations and government agencies have been targeted by email scammers threatening to detonate bombs if they do not pay a bitcoin ransom, the Australian government has warned.

The threats warn a bomb will be detonated in the recipient’s building if the payment isn’t made, warned government agency Stay Smart Online this afternoon.

What should I do if I receive one of these emails?

Don’t respond and don’t transfer bitcoins. All authorities have described these emails as a scam.

However Australians are being urged to contact the state police as a precaution. The state policing agencies are treating these emails as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise, a spokesperson from the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) told Yahoo Finance.

“The ACSC is aware of what appears to be a widespread bomb threat email campaign,” the spokesperson said.

“Our initial assessments indicate that these malicious emails are targeting organisations and government agencies across a number of Western countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. Given the widespread nature of these malicious emails, we have reason to believe this to be a scam.”

Global havoc

The alert comes after a deluge of similar bomb threats triggered severe havoc in the United States, sending schools into lockdown and prompting hospital evacuations.

The scam threats, delivered by email, demanded ransom payments of bitcoin in exchange for the non-detonation of bombs.

US police have confirmed the threats are hoaxes, with no bombs found.

The scam emails targeted schools, media outlets and police precincts, with some hospitals like the Hillsboro Hospital in Kansas evacuating.

While the scammers were most active in the US, police in Ottawa, Canada and New Zealand also issued alerts about the scam emails.

Police departments across the United States also issued alerts confirming the threats had no credibility.

What did the email say?

Users flooded Twitter with screenshots of the email, which reads: “I write to inform you that my man has carried the bomb (Tetryl) into the building where your business is located.

“It was assembled according to my instructions. It can be hidden anywhere because of its small size, it cannot damage the supporting building structures, but there will be many victims in case of its explosion.”

“You must pay me by the end of the working day, if you are late with the transaction the bomb will explode,” it continued.

“This is just a business, if I do not see the bitcoins and a bomb detonates, other companies will transfer me more money, because it isn’t a single case.”

It continued: “We arent [sic] terrorists and do not assume any responsibility for acts of terrorism in other place.”

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