A concerned Orange County resident reached out to News 12 after they got an email that had their name, a street view near their property and threatened to release private information because the sender claimed to have hacked into their phone.

They then promised to not act if the person sent $2,000 through a QR code.

Authorities are warning people that this blackmail is part of a scam.

"Take a minute. Pause before you pay," said Kim Von Ronn, director of Rockland Consumer Protection. "They are very, very good about how they word things and what they're saying to get you panicked. And make you feel like you need to do something right away."

Ramapo police warned the public about this too after a town resident alerted the department about it.

Government statistics show there was a record number of scams and potential financial losses last year from online fraud.

The Orange County resident tells News 12 in an email that “The email I've received is the lowest of the lowest type of robbery. First, let me explain. The pic you see in this letter is a cross the street from my home, so that means someone would have had to stand on my property to take this picture. I do have cameras on my property and a dog to alert me if someone is on my property and will notify police of this threatening letter I received. I'm going to stay vigilant and do my part to keep myself safe. He or she is messing with the wrong person. I just hope no one has been a victim to this pathetic low-life being and will be caught and shut down.”

People can report scams to the federal trade commission at this website. reportfraud.ftc.gov