COLUMBUS, Ohio (WTVN)--Dozens of churches, schools, and business across central Ohio were caught up in a nationwide email hoax on Thursday.
The Franklin County Sheriff's Office tells ABC-6 that they received at least 11 calls about a possible bomb, with the notification via email. The largest response to the threat in the area was to Capital University.
The message from the "suspect" indicated there was a dangerous ordnance in their building, and they needed to deliver 20-thousand dollars in bitcoin to thwart the threat.
Delaware County responded to at least six threats, and Union County responded to at least one.
Across the country, banks, news outlets, and other government buildings received a similar threat.
(photo courtesy ABC-6)