Online scams

**Collingwood** · 02-02-2019, 08:34 PM

I recently had an email from someone I didn't know addressed 'Dear Pervert' ! They claimed to have filmed me having carnal knowledge of myself whilst viewing a website they had created. And the email explained that if I didn't send them some bitcoins they were going to hack my facebook account and send said film to everyone who knows me.
I didn't respond as I was too busy laughing. I then got another email thoughtfully explaining that perhaps I didn't know how send bitcoins to them and here was a link on how to do so, and they would give me another 48 hours.
Well i didn't respond and nothing has happened. No strange looks from my boss nor the vicar, so I take it that any such film hasn't been distributed.
It's only afterwards that I thought that maybe I should have acted like an adult and reported these scammers. Has anyone else received such emails?

jaybo · 02-02-2019, 08:46 PM

Sounds like a opportunist scam
So many people hide behind their computers making threats now!
Not like years ago when you would write an anonymous angry letter in block capitals and leave it unsigned!
Ha take that!
But seriously watch out for the Internet loonies they are everywhere!

**yummymeusli** · 03-02-2019, 07:53 PM

I received one of these and my husband explained it to me.

Basically, I'm sure we've all had notifications of security breaches, from our banks and suppliers and they've insisted that we change our passwords. Well, those old, unchanged passwords get sold on time after time to people with less scruples each time. They do actually have your old password it is out of date but it's one you recognise and you immediately realte to it even though it'd no longer relevant.

They're hoping to frighten you into sending them untraceable cash in order to prevent them doing essentially: nothing.

Imagine if you were an elderly Magistrate with an awful lot to lose and, being not very internet savvy, you believe them. The result could be catasprophic.

It's a horrible scam and one that should be broadcast to all and sundry.

Well done for ignoring it...

YM

**Collingwood** · 04-02-2019, 06:22 PM

It gets even stranger. I went to the office today and found that I had a similar email in my work emails ! Which I never use for private communication. I had to report it to our technical team to get the email address blocked for all our staff.
And had to report it to my immediate boss, as email alleged that I had used the computer at work to access porn sites and had 'caressed myself ' in the process. It turned out my boss had also received a very similar email.
Apparently there are some quite horrid variations on the similar theme. Starting with the prospect of being exposed as someone who views porn sites via messages sent to everyone in the email address book, but also threat to send 'worms ' that will lock the computer or destroy data unless bit coins are sent .
My boss told me that he knew a chap who shared a computer with their wife , and had been looking at porn without her knowledge. And was so worried that she might find out that they sent some bitcoins hoping that would be the end of the matter. It wasn't They carried on getting threats. So sadly looks like some people are falling for these scams.

jaybo · 04-02-2019, 07:25 PM

I suppose you could receive these sort of scams from any unsolicited spam or a random click on a pop up though they are not exclusively porn based.
Scammers are devious buggers you just have to be vigilant!!

**Collingwood** · 04-02-2019, 10:20 PM

Indeed. I don't think that these scammers are connected to porn sites at all. These loathsome individuals are just scamming knowing that if they send out enough emails they will reach someone who has been viewing porn and will feel embarrassed enough to give in to their demands.

jaybo · 05-02-2019, 04:31 AM

My brother fell victim to someone trying to use his identity to open a bank account based in South Africa and he couldn't work out how his details had been gleaned online he said he had to tread carefully after that online and set up steps to secure his online personal details he may have fell victim to a hacker.
Thankfully the request to open an account was blocked but it led to investigations within his bank and his banking history.
So annoying!!

**Collingwood** · 12-02-2019, 09:56 PM

Indeed, are lots of scams around. A work colleague of mine suddenly got a call from their elderly mum recently. Their mum had received a phone call from a rogue pretending to be from the bank, saying that her bank account had been frozen. She was advised to press 1 to unfreeze it ....and did so, only to be asked for her bank details . Thankfully she just put the phone down and then rang my colleague to ask for further advice, who had to explain to their mum that it was indeed a hoax and she must be careful.
Unfortunately some people have fallen for this only to get their accounts cleaned out- and their banks won't 'write off ' the amounts taken as the customer had voluntarily given account details and other relevant information to a third party.

jaybo · 13-02-2019, 01:05 PM

That does get on my nerves particularly as they prey on elderly or vulnerable adults totally without feelings those sort of people

(The scammers not the elderly or vulnerable I mean!)

**Titanites** · 22-02-2019, 11:39 AM

I've tried using "Action Fraud" but it's a very clumsy site to use, and as far as I can see you can't forward e-mails for analysis, which seems to defeat the point. I did once very carefully copy a fraudulent message's source code as plain text and send that, but as you never hear anything back from Action Fraud I can't say if it was worth the effort.

How to find the code? On BT Internet at least, choose "Actions" thence "View source". Other methods may be available, on other networks. It gives you a mass of computer-ese mostly incomprehensible to non-specialists, but you can pick out the ISP addresses, and often the country of origin, fairly easily.
Form this:

If the text alone is not obviously dodgy; the country of origin may give it away. If the message claims being from a friend, comparing the ISP with that of a genuine message from that person is another tool.

Another give-away is the chain address, where the message is put through two or more addresses to try to hid it. It doesn't stand up to analysis though, because that gives the entire route to those with the knowledge (far greater than mine) to identify it.

I had a brief rash of spam phone calls claiming from the "BT Technical Centre" and warning me it was about to cut off my broadband service for some vague reason. The last was obviously a recording because I shouted "No you are not!" down the phone at "her", and "she" didn't flinch but carried on to say "Press button 1...".