Blackmail

[WT3-Bey]

Hi all.

I received an email from someone demanding 10000XMP. Which I’d not heard of before. AND THIS IS THE SCARY BIT - They have one of my main passwords contained in the email, and it’s an old 12 strong password with uppercase, lowercase, numbers and isn’t a readable word either. They said they have remote control of my computer and can ruin me via the dark web unless I pay them within 2 days. But there is also an error in there. They said they have been spying on me via my web cam and headset.

But I only just built my computer last week, all new parts (mostly OCUK), using a window 10 key bought from Amazon for a few quid, and a usb windows 10 boot stick also bought from amazon. But I don’t have a web cam and the headset is still in the box, never had a chance to use it yet. All I’ve done so far is download drivers, steam and GTA5 and google chrome. I’ve not visited any porn sites, if I had I would tell you.

Now whoever he is he can ****off, he’s not getting a bean from me, I just need to know how he got my main password and how to get his access to my computer blocked. To make things worse I’m currently at work, 80 miles offshore in the North Sea, for another 8 days.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[sideways14a]

What security do you run? patch levels? malware scanning? browsers ect.

Your going to have to provide a lot more info, also is that password commonly used elsewhere by you?

 

[Sui]

It's a scam, your password will be from one of the many data breaches.

Visit https://haveibeenpwned.com/ and input your email to check.

I recommend changing passwords if they were used elsewhere.

 

[Azza]

Stick your email into here - https://haveibeenpwned.com

edit------>

^ @Sui damn you and your nimble fingers!

 

[Captain]

Password for what?

 

[Brizzles]

lol

 

[WT3-Bey]

Hi. I don’t have any security. I read somewhere that windows 10 doesn’t need it. Not sure what a patch is. No malware yet, didn’t think I’d need it whilst just playing GTA5 and watching YouTube. Still setting up really, was mainly overclocking and bench marking.

It’s a password that I have used for banking, eBay, amazon, Hotmail, gmail etc. And even my computer login and steam. I’ve changed my banking, amazon and eBay. Not much I can do to change windows and steam password at the moment.

 

[WT3-Bey]

Password for what?

For my woman’s chastity belt

 

[stockhausen]

lol

This!

 

[sideways14a]

It will be from one of the previously hacked breaches, several of my email accounts are on several of these sites.
Really annoying, the company directors, managers and higher up tech staff should be hung for it.

 

[touch]

It’s a password that I have used for banking, eBay, amazon, Hotmail, gmail etc. And even my computer login and steam. I’ve changed my banking, amazon and eBay.

Hopefully you've changed them all to unique, individual passwords?

The problem here is that you've used the same password in many places. It only takes one of these places to get hacked and then your password for everything else is public knowledge too.

 

[Angilion]

Windows 10 certainly does need security and security risks to you aren't only on your PC anyway. Many companies hold data on you and many companies cut costs on their computer security as much as possible. Even those that do care about security can be compromised and personal information (on many people, including you) copied and used for identity fraud, blackmail, etc.

 

[iamdjdz]

Change all your passwords to individual ones for accounts and then delete the email. Also check your accounts for any suspicious logins in case anyone has attempted or gained access - can normally log out all logged in accounts.

Windows defender is a good anti virus now but worth having malwarebytes and possibly a free version of Avast or similar.

 

[sideways14a]

Right first off the biggie and this goes for everyone.
You need bloody security on everything, thats windows 10, mac os, android phones bloody wheelie bins... if its pissaboutable then it needs security.

Minimum is free stuff like windows defender which is reasonable these days and something like malwarebytes (even the free version but remember to regularly scan) - do it properly with a paid sub for MWB its not much and will make the computer much more secure.
As for patches, i read a lot on here about stopping windows updates... staying with windows 7 because you dont like being spied on (rubbish) - forget it... get onto 10 and get it patched as soon as you can. Yes updates cause issues from time to time but your leaving your ass wide open to a good kick by sitting on an ancient OS and no patches.

 

[stockhausen]

. . . Many companies hold data on you and many companies cut costs on their computer security as much as possible. . . .

This is a reference to TalkTalk right?

 

[Jono8]

I would ignore it. Sounds like a scam. As someone pointed out earlier, they will have got your password from one of the data breaches. Then they just use that to try and scare you into giving them money.

 

[Nasher]

It will be from that database of stolen passwords and they spammed 1000s of people with the same message. No hackers are going to target random Joe like that.

 

[Captain]

How has he been spying on you when you are 80 miles away from your computer?

 

[WT3-Bey]

Thank you all for the reassuring words. Panic over, although if you see me on the front page of the newspapers, you know I’m innocent! Lol

So I’m going to take heed and knock up a few choice passwords, one for each account. Delete my 2 email accounts. And I’ll download malwarebytes as soon as I’m beck onshore.

Lesson learned and thankfully still have some dignity intact.

How has he been spying on you when you are 80 miles away from your computer?

Well I wasn’t here last week when I was at home, on the computer.

 

[sideways14a]

MWB is 30 quid for a year, imho the most important purchase after your OS you can have for SW.
Get the paid for version as it runs in active mode, it will catch stuff (a lot sometimes) before it has a chance to infect your computer.

Other good ways of staying clean are running a home DNS server like pihole to block malware infested domains and addresses, this is likely a bit too technical at the moment but i would recomend it to everyone especially as you can disable the spyware so many folk with tinfoil hats worry about - just block the domains/ips and no more MS/nvidia/bla bla bla phone home issues and it makes adverts go away.