Australian police are calling in the FBI to track down the "hitman" scammers responsible for sending thousands of text messages containing death threats.
Alarmed Aussies flooded police hotlines today after receiving the message from a 00000 number.
The text read: "Sum1 paid me to kill you. get spared, 48hrs to pay $5000. If you inform the police or anybody, death is promised ... E-mail me now: killerking247@yahoo.com."
The hoax is commonly referred to as the "hitman scam".
Police across the country said there was no real threat and the messages should be ignored and deleted.
NSW, WA, Victorian, Queensland, South Australian and Tasmanian police are working with the Australian Federal Police to track down those responsible.
Queensland fraud squad Detective Superintendent Brian Hay said the culprits were probably based overseas, but the email account had been traced to a gateway computer in Queensland.
"You will be held accountable," Supt Hay warned those responsible.
NSW detective chief superintendent Peter Cotter said state police would contact international agencies for their help.
"We have direct connections with many international law enforcement agencies," Supt Cotter said.
"There'll be people we'll be speaking to, such as the FBI and London Metropolitan Police and so forth."
Supt Cotter said his team was trying to trace the origins of the number and was working with Yahoo to figure out who the email belonged to.
Supt Cotter said those responsible for the scam could be charged with using a carriage service to make a threat and could face up to 10 years in jail.
Police do not know of anyone who has handed money over to the scammers but believe whoever sent the text was probably trying to fool vulnerable people like the elderly and those with limited English.
Tasmania Police said similar threats had been circulated in emails and mobile texts on and off for many years.
