A wave of bomb threats was sent out across the United States Thursday to hundreds of school, business and government entities, including several on the Central Coast. The threats have been determined to be part of a large hoax.
Emails, many titled, “Think Twice,” demanded money in the form of bitcoin to avoid the detonation of a bomb.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office says Alice Shaw Elementary School in Orcutt received a bomb threat attempting to extort twenty thousand dollars. A Ramada Inn in Goleta also received a similar message. The Grover Beach police department announced they received a threat, as did the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department.
The Washington, DC office of the FBI sent a message out on Twitter, recommending “to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety.”
While the threats appear to be unfounded, authorities ask anyone who receives a threat to contact their local law enforcement agency.
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