Scam porn extortion email: 'While you were watching porn videos, your browser initiated working as a RDP that has a key logger which gave me access to your screen and also web camera.'

Scam porn extortion email: 'While you were watching porn videos, your browser initiated working as a RDP that has a key logger which gave me access to your screen and also web camera.'

With news stories of hacking into credit card companies, Facebook accounts, email accounts, cell phones being hacked and more, scammers are busy trying to take advantage of fears of being hacked. While it certainly is possible to have all of these hacked, many scammers simply prey upon consumers' fear of being hacked to extort their victims into surrendering money. The FBI is seeing an increase in the number of reported extortion attempts of a sexual nature; what's known as sextortion. In one recent month, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, or IC3, received an additional 13,000 complaints about the sextortion scam over the previous months. Sextortion occurs when someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don't provide them with images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money.

Here is a common, and unfortunately, popular example of this.

The email

A victim receives an email similar to the one below. In this email, the scammer claims:

1. You visited a porn website.
2. He installed software on porn to allow him to hack your device (computer, tablet, phone). He says that allowed  "your browser initiated working as a RDP that has a key logger which gave me access to your screen and also web camera"
3. His software "collected your complete contacts from your Messenger, Facebook, as well as emailaccount"
4. He activated the camera on your device and recorded you watching porn and created a split screen video of you and the porn.
5. He can tell that you read the email
6. He can't be traced.

After making these claims, he then issues his threats: you pay him by bitcoin or he will send the video to everyone in your contact list.

 

Example scam email:

Hello!

 

I'm a programmer who cracked your email account and device about half year ago.

You entered a password on one of the insecure site you visited, and I catched it.

 

Of course you can will change your password, or already made it.

But it doesn't matter, my rat software update it every time.

 

Please don't try to contact me or find me, it is impossible, since I sent you an email from your email account.

 

Through your e-mail, I uploaded malicious code to your Operation System.

I saved all of your contacts with friends, colleagues, relatives and a complete history of visits to the Internet resources.

Also I installed a rat software on your device and long tome spying for you.

 

You are not my only victim, I usually lock devices and ask for a ransom.

But I was struck by the sites of intimate content that you very often visit.

 

I am in shock of your reach fantasies! Wow! I've never seen anything like this!

I did not even know that SUCH content could be so exciting!

 

So, when you had fun on intime sites (you know what I mean!)

I made screenshot with using my program from your camera of yours device.

After that, I jointed them to the content of the currently viewed site.

 

Will be funny when I send these photos to your contacts! And if your relatives see it?

BUT I'm sure you don't want it. I definitely would not want to ...

 

I will not do this if you pay me a little amount.

I think $800 is a nice price for it!

 

I accept only Bitcoins.

My BTC wallet:

 

If you have difficulty with this - Ask Google "how to make a payment on a bitcoin wallet". It's easy.

After receiving the above amount, all your data will be immediately removed automatically.

My virus will also will be destroy itself from your operating system.

 

My Trojan have auto alert, after this email is looked, I will be know it!

 

You have 2 days (48 hours) for make a payment.

If this does not happen - all your contacts will get crazy shots with your dirty life!

And so that you do not obstruct me, your device will be locked (also after 48 hours)

 

Do not take this frivolously! This is the last warning!

Various security services or antiviruses won't help you for sure (I have already collected all your data).

 

Here are the recommendations of a professional:

Antiviruses do not help against modern malicious code. Just do not enter your passwords on unsafe sites!

 

I hope you will be prudent.

Bye.

  

The truth

Notice that except for your email address, all of the information is vague, general and definitely not specific to you. Notice also that he provides no proof or evidence of his claims. It's pretty obvious that if you were to attempt to extort someone like this, you would provide at least a brief clip of the video you claimed to have to prove that you could follow through. This is an obvious sign of the scam nature.  Of course, if you don't visit porn websites, then you would also obviously know immediately this is a scam. Unless of course, you believe you watch porn in your sleep ("somnapornography" )

While all of the claims are theoretically possible, it would take a pretty sophisticated scammer to achieve this.  And a scammer like that is not going to target individuals; they'll go after corporations and bigger targets.

Variations

Some versions of the scam, like the one above, include one of the recipient's real passwords as "proof" that their claims are true. Criminals are sending emails and letters using their victims' authentic personally identifiable information to make their claims appear legitimate.  How did they get your password? Most like they bought a list of usernames and passwords on the "dark web" from other hackers from a data breach like the ones you've heard about in the news: Experian, Yahoo, Wells Fargo, etc.  Which means they are using a cut and paste program to send out thousands, or even millions of the scams.

What to do

• First, do NOT reply to the scammer.

• Do NOT pay the scammer.

• Never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are or who they say they are.

• Do not open attachments from people you do not know.

• Turn off your electronic devices and web cameras - and cover or physically disconnect web cameras when you are not using them.

• Report the scammer to Bitcoin (see below)

Report the scammer to Bitcoin

How To Report a Bitcoin Scam, Blackmail, Extortion or Theft:

1. Create a free account on Bitcoin (you need this to report a scam to them; it costs nothing and you don't need to give them any sensitive information; just an email address so they can get back to you)

2. Thenlogin on Bitcoin

3. Enter the bitcoin address in the box on this page

4. Then click the "Report Scam" button on the page that comes up in step 3 (not here) (it looks like this: )

If you are receiving sextortion threats, you are not alone. The FBI says in many sextortion cases, the perpetrator is an adult pretending to be a teenager, and you are just one of the many victims being targeted by the same person. If you believe you're a victim of sextortion, or know someone else who is, the FBI wants to hear from you:

Contact your local FBI office (or toll-free at 1-800-CALL-FBI).

Next, the FBI recommends that if you have experienced this situation please notify the IC3 by filing a complaint.

If the email contains information that identifies you personally (other than your email address alone; for example, address, complete name, etc.) you should contact your local or state police and local FBI office.

If you also forward a copy of the emails you receive here, we will examine them as well.

 

To see many other versions of the porn extortion scam, click here.

 

 

 

For a comprehensive list of national and international agencies to report scams, see this page.