'Hitman scam' threatens to kill 76-year-old if she doesn't pay $8K
A 76-year-old woman from Windsor, Ont., received an email earlier this month from an alleged hitman claiming that if she didn't pay $8,000 she would be killed.
Windsor police have issued a warning to alert the public about the scam.
The writer of the email claimed to be responsible for terrorist attacks, and said that someone in her life had paid money to have her killed. The writer also said they were in possession of the woman's personal information and her picture.
The woman was told if she paid $3,000 she would receive a tape of the recorded discussion with the person who wanted her dead.
A balance of $5,000 would then have to be paid or the hit would be carried out.
The woman was warned not to call police.
She was scared and showed the email to a friend who told her to call the police anyway.
The financial crime branch of the Windsor Police Service reminds the public to be vigilant and not to fall victim to generic threatening emails.
The "hitman scam" may also come in the form of text messages, police said.
If someone believes the threat may be legitimate, they should call the police to investigate.
