Social disease: how fraudsters adapt old scams to exploit coronavirus

Criminals who formerly tried to 'sextort' people online are now making threats to infect a target's family and friends

The email is immediately threatening. "I know every dirty little secret about your life," it begins. "To prove my point, tell me, does [REDACTED] ring any bell to yIu? It was one If your passwords."

The message goes on to inform recipients that the sender knows where they live, to whom they talk and how they spend their days, before delivering the punchline: "You need tI pay me $4,000. You'll make the payment via bitcoin " If I do not get the payment: ITM will infect every member If your family with the coronavirus."