The Steamboat Springs Police Department (SSPD) was notified of separate reports from three different local businesses of email bomb threats received this morning, Thursday, December 13, 2018.
SSPD immediately collaborated with other local and federal agencies in reviewing and accessing the threats, which were all deemed non-credible from law enforcement agency experts. There are similar reports of this email extortion scam popping up in email inboxes across the country.
The first threat came in around 11:30 am asking for an amount of money from the business, paid in Bitcoin to an email address, or a bomb would be exploded at the business. While working on the first report, a second local business described the same threat, which carried the exact language and same demand. A third report came in later from another local business.
“We take these situations extremely seriously,” said Police Commander Jerry Stabile. “If you receive a similar email with the same demands, it’s likely a hoax; however, please contact us so we can investigate and ensure that is the case.”
Earlier this month, a different phishing scam was reported also targeting local businesses. As a reminder, SSPD suggests before sending any personal information, that you first confirm the validity through a phone call, online search or other means. In addition, do not send money, give out personal information or click on unknown links in response to unexpected requests.
Anyone with additional questions or concerns about these emails, or any other crime is encouraged to contact the Steamboat Springs Police Department at 970.879.1144.
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Contact:
Jerry Stabile, Police Commander, 970.879.4344 or email
Cory Christensen, Police Chief, 970.879.4344 or email