According to this email, the sender installed software on an X-rated website that you visited and was able to make a video of you viewing the material on the site. And, claims the email, the software also collected all of your social media and email contacts.
The sender warns that, if you do not pay $1000 via Bitcoin within one day of opening the email, the compromising video will be sent to all of your contacts.
However, the email is just a scam designed to trick you into sending money to online criminals. The sender does not really have a compromising video of you as claimed.
Despite the claims in the scam message, the email is not specifically targeted at you. Instead, the scammers send out many thousands of identical emails in the hope that at least a few recipients will be panicked into sending the requested payment.
The email does not address you by name. Nor does it mention which particular site you supposedly visited, when the alleged incident took place, which contacts the software has supposedly collected, or any other identifying details. It does not even include a copy of the video.
If criminals intent on blackmail really did have all of this information and really did make the video, they would almost certainly include the video and at least some of the information as a means of proving that their threat was real.
To be sure, criminals can indeed distribute malware that is able to steal information from the infected computer. They may even be able to turn on your computer’s camera and record video without you realizing it.
However, in this case, the blackmail attempt is fake. There are many variants of the fake blackmail scam. If you receive one of these bogus messages, do not respond to it.
An example of the scam email:
you. You do not know me and you are probably thinking why you’re getting
this e-mail?actually, I installed a software on the X video clips (pornography) site
and you know what, you visited this website to have fun (you know what I
mean). While you were watching videos, your web browser began functioning
as a Remote control Desktop that has a keylogger which provided me
accessibility to your display and also cam. Right after that, my software
program collected every one of your contacts from your Messenger, social
networks, and e-mail .After that I made a video. 1st part displays the
video you were viewing (you’ve got a good taste omg), and second part shows
the view of your webcam, yeah it is u.You got two different choices. We are going to take a look at the
possibilities in details:First solution is to neglect this message. As a result, I will send your
very own video to each one of your contacts and just think concerning the
embarrassment you will definitely get. And as a consequence should you be
in a romance, precisely how it will affect?In the second place option will be to compensate me $1000. I will name it
as a donation. In this situation, I most certainly will right away remove
your videotape. You can continue your daily routine like this never took
place and you will never hear back again from me.
You’ll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you don’t know this, search for
“how to buy bitcoin” in Google search engine).
BTC Address: [Removed]
[case SENSITIVE so copy & paste it]
If you may be planning on going to the cops, well, this email can not be
traced back to me. I have covered my moves. I am also not trying to ask you
for a whole lot, I want to be compensated. You now have one day in order to
make the payment. I’ve a special pixel within this e mail, and at this
moment I know that you have read this email message. If I don’t receive the
BitCoins, I definitely will send your video to all of your contacts
including close relatives, coworkers, etc. Having said that, if I do get
paid, I will erase the recording right away. This is a non-negotiable
offer, therefore please don’t waste my time & yours by replying to this e
mail. If you need proof, reply Yup! & I definitely will send your video
recording to your 10 contacts.
Importance Notice
After considerable thought and with an ache in my heart, I have decided that the time has come to close down the Hoax-Slayer website.These days, the site does not generate enough revenue to cover expenses, and I do not have the financial resources to sustain it going forward.
Moreover, I now work long hours in a full-time and physically taxing job, so maintaining and managing the website and publishing new material has become difficult for me.
And finally, after 18 years of writing about scams and hoaxes, I feel that it is time for me to take my fingers off the keyboard and focus on other projects and pastimes.
When I first started Hoax-Slayer, I never dreamed that I would still be working on the project all these years later or that it would become such an important part of my life. It's been a fantastic and engaging experience and one that I will always treasure.
I hope that my work over the years has helped to make the Internet a little safer and thwarted the activities of at least a few scammers and malicious pranksters.
A Big Thank You
I would also like to thank all of those wonderful people who have supported the project by sharing information from the site, contributing examples of scams and hoaxes, offering suggestions, donating funds, or helping behind the scenes.I would especially like to thank David White for his tireless contribution to the Hoax-Slayer Facebook Page over many years. David's support has been invaluable, and I can not thank him enough.
Closing Date
Hoax-Slayer will still be around for a few weeks while I wind things down. The site will go offline on May 31, 2021. While I will not be publishing any new posts, you can still access existing material on the site until the date of closure.Thank you, one and all!
Brett Christensen,
Hoax-Slayer
