New ‘sextortion’ scam uses photos of your home to demand money: What to know

This latest Internet scam has targeted victims across the US, using real addresses and photos of their homes – screenshotted from Google Maps – to demand a ransom. — Photo by Brendan Stephens on Unsplash

A New Orleans resident named Jane was sifting through her Gmail inbox on Sept 3, when an anonymous message caused her stomach to drop.

“I suggest you read this message carefully ... We’re talking about something serious here, and I don’t play games,” the email read, addressed to her full name.