An email extortion scam has made its way to Manitoba. 

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have sent out a warning about an email extortion scam that is starting to appear in Manitoba.

Suspects are sending emails that reference a victim's real password. It says they have taken control of the webcam on your computer and threaten to release compromising video of the victim to those in your contact list. To avoid the release of the video, the victim has to pay a certain amount in Bitcoin, an electronic currency.

RCMP are saying that suspects do not have videos and that victims should not be afraid to report this crime to the police.

A significant difference in this scam compared to prior versions is the use of an actual password. Suspects can gain access to your passwords through data breaches and hacking, along with other methods. If you receive this email with a password you currently use, RCMP recommend changing it immediately. They also believe you should change all passwords regularly to protect yourself.

The RCMP does not want you to become a victim of an email scam. Do not pay the suspects and report the email to the police. Also, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Below is a sample script of what the email looks like.

Scam email