SAVANNAH, GA (December 13, 2018) – Savannah Police Department is warning the public of an e-mail that is using threats of explosives to extort money from businesses.
The Savannah Police Department has received reports of about 10 of these e-mails being sent to businesses today. The e-mails say that a bomb is in the business and will explode if $20,000 in Bitcoins is not sent to a payment account immediately. The department has investigated these claims, searched the affected properties and found no evidence of a legitimate threat. The department has learned that similar threats are being e-mailed to businesses across the country. The threats, which appear to have originated in Russia, have been reported to the FBI.
“This is an e-mail threat that is circulating in multiple states,” said Sgt. Cameron Kovach, SPD SWAT commander. “We believe it is an attempt to use fear to extort money from businesses.”