Recently I received an email that many of my clients have also received recently
claiming that “This account has been hacked! Change your password right now!” So it is true? No, probably not. This spam is trying to trick you into giving them your money. Don’t do it.
The Spam
The email looks like it came from your email address using spoofing. If you check the properties of the email, I am confident that you will find, like me, that it was sent from a different email address, in my case from another country.
The subject line of my email is “This account has been hacked! Change your password right now!” It is eye catching, but again not true. While there is nothing wrong with changing your password after confirming that your computer is “clean” of viruses and malware, it should not be necessary due to this spam email. The subject is design to instill fear and prod the recipient into panicked action, giving his or her money to the spammer.
The spam email text is reproduced below with its errors:
You may not know me and you are probably wondering why you are getting this e mail, right?
I’m a hacker who cracked your email and devices a few months ago.
Do not try to contact me or find me, it is impossible, since I sent you an email from YOUR hacked account.
I setup a malware on the adult vids (porno) web-site and guess what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean).
While you were watching videos, your internet browser started out functioning as a RDP (Remote Control) having a keylogger which gave me accessibility to your screen and web cam.
After that, my software program obtained all information.
You entered a passwords on the websites you visited, and I intercepted it.
Of course you can will change it, or already changed it.
But it doesn’t matter, my malware updated it every time.
What did I do?
I backuped device. All files and contacts.
I created a double-screen video. 1st part shows the video you were watching (you’ve got a good taste haha . . .), and 2nd part shows the recording of your web cam.
exactly what should you do?
Well, in my opinion, $1000 (USD) is a fair price for our little secret. You’ll make the payment by Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search “how to buy bitcoin” in Google).
My Bitcoin wallet Address:
1MBQ2MYArZswLa9m52Dk1xPywkTZ9TyuYM
(It is cAsE sensitive, so copy and paste it)
Important:
You have 48 hour in order to make the payment. (I’ve a unique pixel in this e mail, and at this moment I know that you have read through this email message).
To track the reading of a message and the actions in it, I use the facebook pixel.
Thanks to them. (Everything that is used for the authorities can help us.) If I do not get the BitCoins, I will certainly send out your video recording to all of your contacts including relatives, coworkers, and so on.
What to do
The email looks like it came from your own email address, which is enough to convince some people that they have been hacked when they have not. The spammer has just spoofed your email address, which is often easy to do. This makes it look as if the email came from your account. It probably didn’t. Therefore, you can delete the email and ignore it. For more information about how to secure your email, see CYBERSECURITY FOR SMALL BUSINESS: EMAIL AUTHENTICATION 101 .
If you or your business have legal questions or concerns regarding communications law, computer law, privacy, or cybersecurity law matters, contact attorney Jeffrey A. Franklin at Prince Law Offices.
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