West Vancouver police are warning the public about a new online scam using personal email addresses and passwords.

Police say victims receive an email that includes the recipient's current or past email password.

The scammers tell victims they have used the password to install malware on the computer that records a video of them watching pornography using their webcam.

They then ask for upwards of $2,000 in Bitcoin and threaten to release the video to family and friends if the funds aren't delivered within 24 hours.

West Vancouver police say the passwords, which may be real, are likely bought illegally through a leaked database from a website — but the video used to threaten the victim is fake.

Police say anyone receiving an email asking for payment should not send any funds. They should also change their passwords and delete the email.

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