Scam porn extortion email: 'I actually installed a software on the adult streaming (porno) web-site and do you know what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing videos, a Remote Desktop having a key logger gave me access to your screen

Scam porn extortion email: 'I actually installed a software on the adult streaming (porno) web-site and do you know what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing videos, a Remote Desktop having a key logger gave me access to your screen

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:

 

hibiscus one of your password. Lets get directly to purpose. You may not know me and you're probably thinking why you are getting this email? No-one has compensated me to investigate about you.

 

Let me tell you, I actually installed a software on the adult streaming (porno) web-site and do you know what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing videos, your web browser began working as a Remote Desktop having a key logger which gave me access to your screen and also cam. Right after that, my software program collected all your contacts from your Messenger, social networks, and emailaccount. And then I made a video. 1st part displays the video you were watching (you have a nice taste omg), and second part shows the view of your webcam, yeah it is you.

 

You actually have a pair of options. Shall we review the possibilities in aspects:

 

First solution is to neglect this email. In this scenario, I am going to send out your very own videotape to every one of your personal contacts and also imagine concerning the disgrace you can get. And definitely should you be in a romance, how it is going to affect?

 

Second solution will be to pay me $1000. We will think of it as a donation. Consequently, I will asap delete your video recording. You can go forward your daily ro utine like this never took place and you will not hear back again from me.

 

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

 

BTC Address:

[case-SENSITIVE so copy & paste it]

 

If you are thinking of going to the authorities, well, this message can not be traced back to me. I have taken care of my steps. I am also not attempting to ask you for money very much, I wish to be paid.

 

You now have one day in order to pay. I have a unique pixel within this message, and right now I know that you have read through this email. If I do not get the BitCoins, I will definately send out your video to all of your contacts including members of your family, coworkers, and so on. Having said that, if I receive the payment, I will destroy the video right away. If you really want proof, reply with Yeah and I definitely will send your video recording to your 13 friends. This is the non:negotiable offer, and thus please do not waste my time & yours by replying to this mail.

 

 

 

  

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.