Savannah Police warning of bomb threats to businesses

The Savannah Police Department is warning that a national email threat has been targeting businesses in the city.

About 10 businesses received email threats that said a bomb was in the building, a release from the police department says. It said the email instructs the business owners to pay $20,000 in bitcoins or the business will explode.

“The department has investigated these claims, searched the affected properties and found no evidence of a legitimate threat,” the release says. “The department has learned that similar threats are being emailed to businesses across the county.”

The threats appear to have originated in Russia, the release says. It says they have been reported to the FBI.

“We believe this is an attempt to use fear to extort money from businesses,” Sgt. Cameron Kovach, SPD SWAT commander, said in an email.