Just received blackmail/scam attempt email. Wat do?

[Cyclone]

lol, I got exactly the same email yesterday but he was asking for $2800 via bitcoin.

I'm kinda offended why I dont have to pay as much as you. Was my webcam show not as good as yours??

I dont have a webcam and the email was deleted

 

[lttlejoe]

It's nothing more than Phishing!
I've had that email or similar a few times and don't watch porn and have never visited a porn site on any computer etc unless by accident and more importantly, I don't have a web cam so it's just a load bo******!
My old business web sites had my email addresses on them and many I no longer use although I still own the domains....and they still send these emails via the old email addresses which is how I know these emails are fakes.
Just ignore them but make sure your computer isn't compromised by visiting 'iffy' sites or by opening any links contained within an email unless you're absolutely sure of the the authenticity of the sender.

 

[ivrytwr3]

Yep. I would bet money it's the same guy/group. The wording is slightly different, but so many of the incidental details are the same as this one:

Well he doesn't seem to having much success if his wallet is anything to go by.

 

[Goose]

https://www.howtogeek.com/359129/do...lackmail-scam-here’s-how-to-protect-yourself/

 

[mysticsniper]

Can you post the email headers, feel free to remove any personal identifiable information

 

[Rroff]

Rather than start a new thread - had an email (legit) today alerting me to a successful login, stopped by 2FA, on an account I don't use much - the only accounts that use the same credentials is that and my Kickstarter account both having been mostly neglected - it is unlikely the password was guessed or brute forced so most likely they got the details from the 2014 Kickstarter breach even though the passwords were encrypted which possibly means someone has managed to decrypt some or all of that data. So just a headsup if you've not changed any passwords that are the same as Kickstarter.

 

[jpaul]

which possibly means someone has managed to decrypt some or all of that data.

Do you use any mechanism for storing passwords on your devices (lastpass etc) and are convinced they are not compromised ?

Even if the kickstarter and this email account have the same password how did they guess the email address, or that was declared as a backup on kickstarter account ?

has the have i been pawned site been of any use to identify risks (have never tried it myself )

 

[Rroff]

Do you use any mechanism for storing passwords on your devices (lastpass etc) and are convinced they are not compromised ?

Even if the kickstarter and this email account have the same password how did they guess the email address, or that was declared as a backup on kickstarter account ?

has the have i been pawned site been of any use to identify risks (have never tried it myself )

The email addy used shows Kickstarter on the pwned site:

Kickstarter: In February 2014, the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter announced they'd suffered a data breach. The breach contained almost 5.2 million unique email addresses, usernames and salted SHA1 hashes of passwords.

Compromised data: Email addresses, Passwords

The password isn't stored anywhere - I've barely even entered it in a long time and I'm fairly sure its not been got via a compromised device*, etc. its pretty unlikely it was guessed or brute forced.

It seems unlikely they managed to get something working via "reverse engineering" salted hashes but I can't really see it likely that someone got these details by chance or from any other source.


* If it was a compromised device there is a lot more interesting and lucrative credentials they could have obtained hah and I doubt they'd have waited this long to use any details gained - though I guess they might try something obscure first to see if the details were working and hope it went unnoticed.

 

[Rannoch]

I found the same email in my spam folder on hotmail.

 

[Jamesyboyjim]

Had a few users at work forward this exact email onto me on our service desk worrying about it so its just a spam email. Nothing to worry about.

 

[stockhausen]

It beggars belief that people don't stick Gaffer Tape over their webcam as soon as they first open their laptop.

 

[jpaul]

Ok just had one of those emails that says they caught me on webcam Blah blah blah send me BTC or I'll email your contacts.

However this one has a reference to a password I use/ Used to use.

Now Credit expert said it had found my email being sold and may have password attached.

earlier link https://myonlinesecurity.co.uk/attempted-blackmail-scam-watching-porn/

Update: I am now receiving several other copies coming from random names and with random subjects. The bitcoin address is different in each email and the amount of the payment varies but all in the $300-$400 range. The country the sender says he come from differs each time, but all appear to be Russian speaking countries. There are slight variations in the wording of the email body, but all are basically the same

The latest version of this horrible & very worrying scam is using details from one of the recent pastes of stolen information. They are inserting your name and a password that is associated with your email address from a hacked site into the email. They have also updated the payment amount to somewhere between $1500 – $2000, with some as high as $3000 with a couple of victims telling me $4000

 

[lttlejoe]

You mean like this email?
This was in my SPAN bin and was sent on the 12/07/2018...my life hasn't been ruined up to now

Hi, viсtim.
I writе you bесausе I рut а malware оn the web pagе with porn whiсh you have visitеd.
My virus grabbеd аll your рersоnal infо аnd turned on your саmеrа which сaрturеd the рrocеss of yоur onanism. Just after that the sоft sаvеd your соntaсt list.
I will dеletе thе cоmрromising video аnd infо if you рay mе 500 EURO in bitсоin. This is address fоr раymеnt : 1DrvtiUtCe2KGnEnVXXvTWkK8xpAbiV5MZ

I give yоu 30 hоurs аfter you оpеn my mеssagе fоr mаking the transactiоn.
As sооn аs yоu read thе message I'll sеe it right аwаy.
It is not neсеssаry tо tell me thаt you have sent mоney tо me. This аddrеss is соnneсted to you, my system will dеlete evеrything autоmaticаlly aftеr transfer confirmatiоn.
If you nеed 48 h just reply оn this lеttеr with +.
Yоu саn visit thе pоlice statiоn but nobоdy can hеlр you.
If you try tо dесeivе mе , I'll sеe it right away !
I dont live in yоur country. So they саn nоt trасk my lоcation еvеn for 9 mоnths.
Gоodbye. Dоnt forgеt аbоut thе shаmе and tо ignоre, Yоur lifе сan bе ruined.

I've had loads of them! Just a load of whatsit! Ignore them!

 

[mattyg]

You mean like this email?
This was in my SPAN bin and was sent on the 12/07/2018...my life hasn't been ruined up to now

Hi, viсtim.
I writе you bесausе I рut а malware оn the web pagе with porn whiсh you have visitеd.
My virus grabbеd аll your рersоnal infо аnd turned on your саmеrа which сaрturеd the рrocеss of yоur onanism. Just after that the sоft sаvеd your соntaсt list.
I will dеletе thе cоmрromising video аnd infо if you рay mе 500 EURO in bitсоin. This is address fоr раymеnt : 1DrvtiUtCe2KGnEnVXXvTWkK8xpAbiV5MZ

I give yоu 30 hоurs аfter you оpеn my mеssagе fоr mаking the transactiоn.
As sооn аs yоu read thе message I'll sеe it right аwаy.
It is not neсеssаry tо tell me thаt you have sent mоney tо me. This аddrеss is соnneсted to you, my system will dеlete evеrything autоmaticаlly aftеr transfer confirmatiоn.
If you nеed 48 h just reply оn this lеttеr with +.
Yоu саn visit thе pоlice statiоn but nobоdy can hеlр you.
If you try tо dесeivе mе , I'll sеe it right away !
I dont live in yоur country. So they саn nоt trасk my lоcation еvеn for 9 mоnths.
Gоodbye. Dоnt forgеt аbоut thе shаmе and tо ignоre, Yоur lifе сan bе ruined.

I've had loads of them! Just a load of whatsit! Ignore them!

More like

Subject

Matt - XXXXXXXX (but my actual password)


I am aware XXXXXXXX is your password. Lets get directly to the purpose. You may not know me and you're probably thinking why you're getting this e-mail? No-one has compensated me to investigate you.


actually, I placed a malware on the adult video clips (porn material) web site and do you know what, you visited this web site to experience fun (you know what I mean). When you were watching video clips, your internet browser initiated operating as a Remote Desktop that has a key logger which provided me with access to your display screen as well as web camera. Just after that, my software collected all your contacts from your Messenger, FB, as well as e-mail . And then I created a double video. First part shows the video you were viewing (you've got a good taste omg), and next part shows the recording of your web camera, & its u.


You have only 2 alternatives. Lets analyze each of these options in particulars:


Very first choice is to dismiss this e mail. In this scenario, I am going to send your actual video clip to each of your your personal contacts and thus just think concerning the disgrace you will definitely get. Or should you be in an important relationship, exactly how it is going to affect?


In the second place alternative is to pay me $7000. Let us call it a donation. In this scenario, I most certainly will quickly eliminate your video. You will go on your way of life like this never took place and you would never hear back again from me.


You'll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search "how to buy bitcoin" in Google search engine).


BTC Address to send to: 15Lrb18j53Sf7mu2T6cYRRG4EEaSXDrEDT

[CASE-SENSITIVE, copy & paste it]


If you may be curious about going to the police, good, this message cannot be traced back to me. I have taken care of my actions. I am just not trying to charge you a huge amount, I only want to be compensated. You have one day in order to pay. I've a specific pixel within this mail, and now I know that you have read through this mail. If I do not receive the BitCoins, I will certainly send out your video recording to all of your contacts including members of your family, co-workers, and so on. Having said that, if I do get paid, I'll destroy the recording right away. This is the non-negotiable offer and thus please don't waste my personal time and yours by responding to this e mail. If you want to have evidence, reply with Yeah & I will send out your video recording to your 14 friends.

They have got my name and a password I use/used/ May still be live for a site somewhere

It doesn't appear to be working for him though
https://bitref.com/15Lrb18j53Sf7mu2T6cYRRG4EEaSXDrEDT

 

[Merlin5]

I received one of these dated 2nd October, but it went into my spam folder on my phone email app and I only just read it yesterday. Subject title is one word, it's an old password I used. At the top of the email it says 'Merlin five' and when I click on that to view the sender's contact address it says a particular name and ends with @yahoo.jp

This is what the email says which is exactly the same as others are getting from my research on Google, including the '(you have a fine taste omg)'

"I am aware ******* is your passphrase. Lets get straight to the purpose. You may not know me and you're probably thinking why you're getting this email? Nobody has paid me to check you.

Let me tell you, I actually installed a software on the xxx video clips (adult porn) site and do you know what, you visited this web site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing video clips, your browser initiated functioning as a Remote control Desktop that has a keylogger which provided me with accessibility to your display screen and also web camera. Immediately after that, my software gathered your entire contacts from your Messenger, FB, and emailaccount. After that I made a double video. First part shows the video you were watching (you have a fine taste omg), and second part displays the view of your web camera, yeah it is you.

You will have not one but two alternatives. We are going to read these solutions in particulars:

Very first alternative is to ignore this email message. In this scenario, I am going to send your very own tape to almost all of your contacts and also visualize regarding the embarrassment you will get. Do not forget if you happen to be in an important relationship, exactly how it is going to affect?

Second option will be to compensate me $1000. I will regard it as a donation. In this case, I most certainly will asap remove your videotape. You can go on with daily life like this never happened and you are never going to hear back again from me.

You'll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search for "how to buy bitcoin" in Google).

BTC Address to send to: 12u3U31rQGBvX8CAJ1X3xgSui8uqww2EfW
[case-sensitive copy and paste it]

If you have been making plans for going to the law enforcement officials, okay, this e-mail can not be traced back to me. I have covered my steps. I am just not looking to charge you a huge amount, I simply want to be rewarded.

You now have one day in order to pay. I have a specific pixel within this email message, and now I know that you have read through this email. If I do not receive the BitCoins, I will send your video recording to all of your contacts including friends and family, coworkers, and so forth. However, if I receive the payment, I will erase the recording immediately. If you really want proof, reply Yes then I definitely will send your video recording to your 10 friends. This is the non-negotiable offer, so please don't waste mine time and yours by replying to this e mail."

For a start, I don't have a facebook account, and secondly, although I have a webcam on my laptop, I've not looked at any porn on the laptop, only my phone. So clearly it's BS.

I've taken steps anyway to change anything I can think of using that old password. Several american tech forums such as Toms hardware, XDA Developers, hardforum, used that password but I haven't used it in about 8 years and it doesn't work at those places anymore. One place, overclock.net, it still worked and I changed it. My YouTube and Google accounts both used a variant of that password, i.e , the same password plus some numbers. I changed both of those last night. So to the best of my knowledge, everything I ever used with that password should hopefully now be non accessible.

I'm curious about where he says about the specific pixel within the email to notify him I've read it. BS?

 

[Bluecube]

Bluntly, who cares? It’s a spammy load of utter crap up there with Nigerian princes wanting to send you, honourably sirs, 20 squillion quid. Ignore, delete, move on with your life.

 

[Resistance]

So I just opened my email to find a blackmail/scam email from someone demanding $3000 in Bitcoin. I suspect this is just someone trying their luck, but there are a few worrying things. Here are the key details:

*The scammer doesn't seem to know my actual name, but he clearly does have my username, password and email address. It's not the username I use here. In fact I can't remember where it's from because it's not one I use often, although I have used it in the past. And I have used the password before as well.
*The scam is basically that they supposedly installed some malware via a porn video I watched/downloaded (the language they use is quite vague) which supposedly granted them remote desktop access and access to my webcam, and installed a keylogger. The email says they're going to send a video of my webcam and me watching porn to all my contacts unless I pay within 24 hours blah, blah, blah... I would suspect this is ******** anyway, but I don't even have a webcam and I haven't downloaded any porn in probably a decade. Not gonna like I do occasionally go to Pornhub though

Anyway, I'm posting this here mainly just to ask for advice. I'm using my other half's laptop to type this, and I'm gonna use it to change my personal and work email, Facebook, Twitter, online banking and any other passwords I can think of. I've also ran a scan on my laptop using Windows Defender, but I'm wondering if there's anything else it would be wise to do? Any advice?

I suspect this is just some **** who got access to some ancient forum's email database and is sending out these emails on a mass basis, but obviously I want to be cautious. Should I be scanning for spyware with Spybot or something like that? I've been lucky with viruses/malware in that I haven't had any problems in years, so a bit out of the loop.

Windows Defender will do nothing try this https://www.eset.com/me/home/online-scanner/

 

[Puzzled]

Had another one of these today but interestingly this one was to an email account that is not showing as having a data leak / breach. They also spoofed the email address so it appeared as if they had sent it from my webmail account which I thought was a nice touch.

The password is an old one, certainly one I never used with this email account but an old email address that shares the same format (first name last name @whatever.com) has received a lot of these scams and is showing as being in a data breach. Do you think they are just trying the same first bit of the address with other domains to see if they get lucky?

I know its all rubbish but annoying to see it spreading to my (so far) clean email account.

 

[Resistance]

Had another one of these today but interestingly this one was to an email account that is not showing as having a data leak / breach. They also spoofed the email address so it appeared as if they had sent it from my webmail account which I thought was a nice touch.

The password is an old one, certainly one I never used with this email account but an old email address that shares the same format (first name last name @whatever.com) has received a lot of these scams and is showing as being in a data breach. Do you think they are just trying the same first bit of the address with other domains to see if they get lucky?

I know its all rubbish but annoying to see it spreading to my (so far) clean email account.

I would not even reply to them just block and report as spam

 

[Puzzled]

I would not even reply to them just block and report as spam

Oh I have no intention of replying, just can't see any obvious source from where they got this email address from. Wondering if they are just trying different domains for the same format as an old one that was leaked in a data breach ([email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected] etc etc)