Scam Alert - Multiple Reports Of Emails Containing Hoax Bomb Threat
The Grand Rapids Police Department (GRPD) is warning the community about a widespread phishing scam using a bombthreat via email to target victims.
Around 1:00 pm this afternoon, GRPD began receiving reports from businesses and institutions that an employee had received an email indicating there was a bomb on the premises. The email went on to say that in order to deactivate the bomb, an electronic financial transaction needed to be sent.
The locations that GRPD have responded to so far are:
University Prep Academy (512 S. Division), Bucher Hydrolic (1363 Michigan St NE), Mary Freebed Hospital (235 Wealthy St SE), and Mr. Pizza (545 Michigan St NE).
Taken into account there were no additional indicators of threat outside of the email, each of these businesses made their own independent decision on how the business responded which is consistent with the GRPD policy and procedure.
Area law enforcement agencies communicate all real or reported bomb threats to each other and it was soon learned that the scope of this phishing scam was effecting area agencies as well.
MSP has been notified and is receiving similar reports across the state. The FBI has been made aware and they indicate that the e-mail is being distributed across the country.
It is believed that these emails are originating outside the country, and are merely an opportunity to try to solicit money. We have found no validity to any of the threats reported so far, and therefore, do not believe that there is any cause for alarm or elevated threat level. If you are a recipient of one of these emails, do NOT send any money.
If you wish to report it, please call 911 and we can evaluate the content of the email against what has been included so far so that you can make an informed decision on your response.
We encourage all businesses and institutions to use this as an opportunity to evaluate your bomb threats and /or evacuation protocol. If you do not have one or are looking to strength en it, the link provided here to the Department of Homeland Security is a great start: https://www.dhs.gov/what-to-do-bomb-threat.
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