ALERT! Hoax email threatens recipients

A new email hoax uses intimidation in an attempt to coax recipients into paying the sender $8,000. The email states that "someone you call your friend, wants you dead" and demands that the recipient respond to a specific email address to make arrangements to hear the "tape of my discussion with the person who wants you dead" so that "you can use it to take legal action."

This email is a hoax. If you receive this email or one similar, delete it immediately. Do not forward it, reply to the email address provided, or click on any links within the message.

For advice on how to steer clear of hoaxes and phishing scams, read Information and Educational Technology's "10 Things Everybody Should Know About How the Email World Works."