Your weekly dose of scam-proofing in 3 minutes or less—no fluff, just the latest hacks, scams, phishing attacks, and cyber cons you actually need to know about.

🚨SCAM OF THE WEEK: THREATS & EXTORTION SCAMS

Because apparently the best way to make money now is threatening strangers online.

What the hell is a Threat or Extortion Scam?

It’s simple: scammers threaten you with something bad—embarrassment, legal trouble, violence, account hacks—unless you pay. It’s digital mugging.

They want you scared, panicked, and desperate enough to hand over cash without thinking.

How does it work?

1. Fake legal threats:

   You get an email claiming you’ve committed a crime. Piracy, tax evasion, defamation—whatever. They threaten arrest, court, or police action unless you pay a “settlement fee.” It’s made to look official—badges, legal-sounding language, sometimes even spoofed email addresses.

2. Hacked data extortion:

   They claim they’ve hacked your email, social media, or company server. They threaten to leak your data, delete your files, or expose sensitive documents unless you pay a ransom.

3. “We’re watching you” threats:

   They say you’re being followed. That they know your address, your routine, your family. Sometimes they claim to be a hitman hired to kill you—but they’ll cancel the job if you send them £2,000. How generous.

4. Bomb threats. No, really.

   Some scammers email schools, offices, or businesses with fake bomb threats unless money is paid. It’s rare, but it happens—and it wastes time, causes panic, and ties up emergency services.

Why it works

✅ Fear overrides logic.

✅ People assume “there must be some truth in it”.

✅ The threats feel personal—names, passwords, or location data might be included.

✅ It looks official enough to make you hesitate.

Scammers use pressure and power dynamics to shut down your brain. The goal isn’t realism—it’s fear.

Real-world facepalms

💥 2023 – Hitman scams on the rise: Victims received emails saying a hitman had been paid to kill them—but the “assassin” offered to cancel the job for a fee. Total nonsense, but it still worked. Some victims paid hundreds.

💥 Fake law firm threats: Thousands of people received fake legal notices claiming they owed money for pirated movies or images. The scammers posed as real law firms with spoofed domains and signatures.

💥 Ransomware group imposters: Some scammers pretended to be well-known hacking groups, demanding ransom for data they never had access to. Businesses paid out just to avoid the PR nightmare.

How to not get played

– Don’t respond. Don’t engage. Don’t pay.

– If a message threatens violence or harm, report it to local law enforcement.

– If they claim to have hacked your data, check haveibeenpwned.com and change your passwords immediately.

– Look at the language: real legal notices don’t come with typos, weird Bitcoin wallet links, and emotional blackmail.

– If you’re unsure—ask a professional, not the scammer.

Final thought:

If someone can’t prove they’re real, don’t let them convince you the threat is. Fear is a powerful tool—but only if you hand it over. 🤙

⚡ SHARP CYBERSECURITY TIP

Don’t click the unsubscribe link in spam emails. It doesn’t remove you from anything—it just confirms your address is active and ripe for more scams. Mark it as spam and move on.

🔥 ONE-LINER HOT TAKE

If an email makes you panic, pause. Scammers rely on urgency because they know you make dumb choices under pressure.

That’s it for this week.

If you've ever received a dodgy legal threat, a fake hitman email, or a ransom demand out of nowhere—relax. You're not being watched. You're being targeted. And there’s a difference.

Catch you next time,

Dan & the Goldphish Team

📌 P.S. Know someone who panics when they see the words “court summons” in their inbox? Forward this before they pay a scammer pretending to be Judge Judy, or tell them to subscribe below.👇