The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has issued an alert on extortion schemes that relate to recent high-profile data thefts. Fraudsters often use the news release of high-profile data breaches to scare victims into clicking on a link or paying a ransom.
US-CERT encourages users and administrators to review the IC3 Alert for details and refer to US-CERT Tip ST04-014 for information on social engineering and phishing attacks.