CONCORD, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella is warning residents about a so-called “Blackmail Scam” targeting Granite Staters.

Formella issued the alert in a press release on Monday after his office received several reports from residents who have received similar emails from senders unfamiliar to them.

Attached to the email is a threatening letter that includes the recipient’s name, telephone number, home address, and a picture of their home. The subject of the email also contains the recipient’s name, and the body contains the name and home address.

The letter claims that a virus was placed on the recipient’s electronic device and the sender is able to track their browsing history, emails, and social media accounts. It goes on to warn that the sender has extracted embarrassing information about the recipient and threatens to release that information unless the recipient pays a “privacy fee” in cryptocurrency.

Formella is urging residents to understand that the senders of these emails have not actually been to your home nor gained access to your electronic device, and obtained personal identifying information from publicly available sources.

The sender’s intention is to create a sense of fear and urgency so that the recipient will pay money.

Anyone who receives such emails should not panic and should not respond or send money, including cryptocurrency. Contact local police, especially if you have lost money, and report the scam to the Office of the Attorney General Consumer Protection Hotline at 1-888-468-4454, by email at Doj-CPB@doj.nh.gov, or at doj.nh.gov/consumer/complaints.

Anyone who knows a vulnerable adult who has been scammed or financially exploited should contact the New Hampshire Bureau of Adult and Aging Servies at 1-800-949-0470.