WATERTOWN - An e-mail that has surfaced in Watertown, sent by someone who calls himself "Eddy," adds a disturbing twist to online scams.

This one threatens that the recipient or the recipient's family could be killed unless they pay $8,000.

One problem: The e-mail happened to be sent to an employee of the Watertown Police Department.

"Eddy" claims to be a hitman who was hired to kill the e-mail recipient but had a change of heart.

"I have followed you closely for a while now and have seen that you are innocent of the accusations leveled against you," the e-mail states.

"Eddy" demands $8,000 - with $4,000 up front so one of his "boys" will deliver a video tape that would expose the person who wanted to kill the recipient.

The sender also threatens the recipient's family.

"Do not arrange for the cops and if you play hard to get, it will be extended to your family," according to the e-mail.

People usually hear about scams that say someone has won the Canadian lottery or that they can get lots of cash from Nigeria. But they don't usually threaten murder, said Scott McMahon, Watertown police captain.

It appears to be the third known e-mail of its kind in South Dakota, according to McMahon, who checked with other law enforcement in the state.

"In talking to some other law enforcement agencies, it appears this is connected to one of these overseas scams," so it could be hard to find and prosecute the sender, he said.

The FBI received 115 complaints of similar e-mails reaching people across the country in less than a month last winter, according to its Web site. The e-mails vary only in the amount of money demanded, ranging as high as $80,000.

"It's just another way to cheat the honest people out of money," McMahon said. "Unfortunately they've taken it to a new level."