How to stay safe from the scary Google Maps scam that's going viral

Luckily, if you encounter this scam, you can safely ignore it.

New Google Maps Scam Threatens to Cost You $2,000

According to Forbes, the new scam starts with a data breach. Scammers collect information from data breaches to gather your name, email, and address. Once they have this information, they load it up on Google Maps and find your location. They then take a picture of your house and send you an email with the picture attached.

The scammer will then fabricate a story about how you downloaded malware onto your PC. The malware will begin tracking your browsing habits, including any adult websites you may have visited. The scammer will then demand $2,000 from you to keep this information secret, and if you don't pay, they will come to your home to collect the money. This is when they use pictures of your home to scare you into paying.

Fortunately, if you receive an email like this, the claims of malware and scammers coming to your home are false. There is no malware, and the scammer is not visiting your home—they may not even be in the same country as you. Feel free to delete the email, and remember: Paying the scammer will only encourage them to make more threats.

Forbes also recommends blurring out your house on Google Maps. That way, if a scammer tries to use your house as a scam, all they'll get is a blurry mess.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 22 November 2024