UNF receives an extortion threat

Sam Chaney

UNF received an extortion threat along with other Florida universities according to an Osprey Update.Photo courtesy of UNF

UNF received an extortion threat similar to that of other colleges and universities according to an Osprey Update students received on Jan. 3.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, several colleges including University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, University of Florida, Florida State University, and Florida Gulf Coast Universities received this threat.

The email, according to the Tampa Bay Times, states the payment should be 1.2 Bitcoin, which is about $18,035. If the college refused, the sender reportedly threatened to wage a campaign of confusion by making several false bomb and mass shooting threats. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the email states one of those false threats won’t be so false.

“Every night I will roll a single die. If a six comes up, I will instruct my compatriots to follow through on the attack and kill as many people as possible,” stated the email in the Tampa Bay Times article. “It will be public knowledge that you failed to take this threat seriously.”

The university contacted the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement immediately though the threat was regarded as “likely non-credible,” according to the update.

Students received this Osprey Update on Jan. 3.

UNF asked students to contact the UNF Police Department at (904) 620-2800 if they notice any suspicious activity. The email is still under investigation by state and federal authorities, according to the update.