Chilling letter targets Sydney unit block asking for $20,000: 'You're in danger'
The bizarre blackmail attempt claims the residents, their children and pets will be killed if they do not give up the money.
Residents living in a small Sydney unit block are on edge after they each found a letter at their front door threatening to kill them, their children and pets unless they cough up $20,000 in cash.
Police were seen speaking to those living in the five adjacent apartments in the western Sydney suburb of Silverwater this week after the bizarre blackmail attempt triggered concerns for their safety.
“You are all in danger,” the letter — seen by 7News — begins before stating their individual address. “We have been given the task to get money from you or we will kill you and your family (including your kids/pets).”
Letter threatens to 'kill all' residents
The note, which claims to have been written by a group of “good hackers” who “do assassinations for money”, then says the residents’ computers and mobile phones have already been compromised.
“We can listen to your calls, check your texts. We hacked your systems and got all the information we need for the job. We know exactly what your family movement timings are.
“We know where you guys are working and studying. We are still outside your home observing the movement and using your internet right now,” the letter continues before demanding the “$20,000 in cash” to prevent any harm.
The residents are urged not to call the police otherwise “we will come may be (sic) in a few days and kill all of you quietly (including your kids/pets) by slaughtering (cutting your throat)”.
“We will burn your house with your dead bodies inside, we will burn your car which are parked outside. Just be careful we don’t want any police to get involved otherwise we will kill all of you in few days or months,” it ends.
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Letter 'a bit worrying', resident says
One of the homeowners told 7News the letters came “out of the blue” and were “really, really random”. “It is a bit worrying. The guy’s got some real mental illness,” the anonymous man said.
Footage from the publication shows officers interviewing concerned residents, who reportedly believe the blackmail attempt could be from a child or someone with a low mental capacity due to the letter’s poor grammar and structure.
Yahoo News Australia has contacted NSW Police for more information.
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