Anonymous scammer targets cheating spouses on the Main Line

"I'm the guy that gets the mail every day."

And when Hugh Ehrenberg got the mail Thursday morning, he found this, stamped, and postmarked from Philadelphia. A letter that read:

"Hello Hugh. I have evidence of the infidelity. I know you cheated on your wife.

"I will send it to your wife and copies to her friends and family... unless you pay me $2,000."

And the letter included a page of instructions on how to send money through bitcoin, an online payment system.

This married man with two kids was able to laugh it off.

"On one hand, it's humorous. I don't know who falls for these sorts of things."

But someone out there just might. Lower Merion Police say they haven't seen this scam before, but were flooded with calls today from countless others who got the same threatening mail, personalized with their first names.

"I knew it was bogus but my interest was still piqued so I continued to read it."

Rachael Silverman opened the letter in her husband's name.

"I think whoever is doing it is just desperate to pray on people who are just scared or nervous and they'll just give the money."

The sender, obviously hoping to luck into finding actual cheaters and scare them into paying up to make up for the mailing costs.

"One of my first thoughts was how much they're wasting on postage."

Not concerned about postage or, apparently, getting busted, writing:

"Blackmail is illegal and I would likely do some jail time if caught," but insisting "this letter cannot be traced back to me."

Hugh has been through worse before.

"This area has been sort of farmed for credit card numbers. I've had six credit card numbers stolen in the last year."

This scam, he considers more of a nuisance.

"It's anonymous, it's untraceable, it's frustrating, but what are you going to do."