Police are warning people about a new scam threatening immigrants or people from Mexico with graphic videos.
A Pasco, Washington man received a gruesome video of three men getting stabbed to death on WhatsApp then threats saying that if he didn’t send money it would be him in the next video. The man contacted Pasco police, and now they’re warning others that this could be more widespread.
“If it doesn’t look right, if it doesn’t smell right, don’t do it,” said Sgt. Scott Warren with Pasco police.
Police don’t know where the horrific video came from, and the person that received the message has no relation to anyone in the video. The scammer asked for money and threatened the man that received the message.
“This is a typical scam – it’s just ramped up more to a threat,” Warren said, “But it’s still the same – they’re going to try to get you to give your personal information.”
Police say with a video like this, scammers are trying to target immigrants or people with family in Mexico.
“The target they believe they’re going to find is somebody that’s weak and that they can extort or victimize,” Warren said.
Police say it’s important to report something like this if you receive it, but these crimes are very hard to prosecute.
The calls and messages usually come in from outside their jurisdiction, and sometimes even from out of the country.
“Our citizens can help themselves (and) not be the victims of this by, one, reporting it to us but, two, not following their instructions,” Warren said.
Police say scammers will try to find any method that works to get money. In this case, it’s graphic videos and death threats.
Warren says there are three parts to a crime. One is opportunity. He says by not responding to calls, messages or threats from scammers you don’t give scammers the opportunity to make you a victim.
Originally posted by KOMO News
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