‘Hit man’ e-mail scam surfaces in state

Daily Sun staff

The Nebraska State Patrol is urging people to be aware of a scam involving the extortion of money to prevent a “hit” on the recipient of an e-mail.

Investigators with the patrol’s Troop C Headquarters in Grand Island say they have gotten several complaints regarding the so-called hit man e-mail in recent months.

The e-mail claims to come from someone who has been paid to kill the recipient, but is offering to spare the person’s life -- for a fee. The amount varies, but is usually thousands of dollars.  

“This type of scam is devised to frighten the recipient into complying with the sender’s wishes,” said Troop C Investigator Jason Probasco.  

The e-mail implies the recipient is being watched and warns him or her to contact no one and to avoid going out of doors until the situation has been resolved. The sender then provides details on how payment can be made.

“It is important to remember unsolicited e-mails, can and often should be deleted without opening them,” Probasco said.

For additional information on scams and identity theft, visit the Nebraska Attorney General’s Web site at www.ago.state.ne.us or call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division at 800-727-6432.