Police: Email threat to San Ramon Valley schools part of an international hoax

DANVILLE – Police say an anonymous email sent to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District threatening violence to an “unnamed” school carries no credible threat and was likely sent by an international hacking group.

Police said Monday the email was sent to SRVUSD and several other school districts in California and the UK. The email, which did not target a specific school, person, date or time, is a hoax, does not pose a credible threat, police said.

Authorities investigating the case believe the email was sent by an international hacking group. Danville Police say the information has also been sent to the regional federal and state cyber task force. In a social media post, Danville Police said, “Danville PD and other law enforcement will continue to look into the incident, as a matter of safety for the entire community.”

The hoax email was sent to school districts in San Diego, San Bernardino, among other areas. Investigators in those regions believe the email originated from Europe and said it was sent Sunday night. In Needles Unified School District (San Bernardino County), authorities canceled school on Monday before they determined the email did not carry a credible threat.

The #FBI is working with our local law enforcement partners to determine the validity of the reported school threats within our area of responsibility. At this time, they appear to be part of a larger influx of threats and they do not appear to be legitimate.

— FBI SanFrancisco (@FBISanFrancisco) April 9, 2018