Sites Across the US Receive Bomb Threats

Bomb threats sent to locations from coast to coast on Thursday—including schools, universities, police departments, and news organizations—appear to be a hoax, authorities say. The threats follow a common pattern, WLS-TV reports: They involve an email warning of a hidden explosive and a demand for the deposit of a large sum of money into a bitcoin account to avoid detonation. Threats were sent to dozens of locations across the US, per the AP, which reports that the subject line of some of the emails read “Think Twice.” No explosive devices have been found, USA Today reports.

New York City police, who were investigating multiple threats, say the threats were intended to cause disruption and extort money. The NYPD Counterterrorism Bureau tweeted, “These threats are also being reported to other locations nationwide & are NOT considered credible.” Locations in California, Idaho, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Florida, among others, received threats. In a statement, the FBI says it is aware of the threats and working with local law enforcement, adding, "As always, we encourage the public to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety." (A bomb threat recently got CNN's studios evacuated.)