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Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
https://computerhaven.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=2051		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  jaylach [ Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
LOL! I got an email today that made me chuckle a bit but could get some people.

First there WAS an aspect that bothered me a bit. The email quoted a password. It was a password for one of my system log-ins. Actually the quoted password was correct except for missing capital letters. Of course, to be safe, I changed it.

The part that made me chuckle is that it was claimed that my web cam had been taken over and threatened to send videos to all my contacts. The thing is that I don't have any web cams. On my main system I use 2 HDTV's and 1 HDTV on my bedroom system. My laptop DOES have a web cam but I only open the lid to turn the thing on. For operation I close the lid and use a larger external monitor; the monitor does not have a web cam. Shoot, the laptop is rarely even powered up.

The email went straight to my spam folder and I can't say what made me take a peek today but now and then I do.

Of course the threat was that an incriminating video would be sent to my contacts. With no active web cams I'd love to see the video. :mrgreen: Of course if I sent money that would show as a charitable donation the video would be deleted.

Except for how close my system log-in happened to be I'd totally discard this as 'scareware'. Have others gotten such?
Author:  sboots [ Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Yep -- all the time. Note that this is the email scam that I discussed with katy98 back in January.
https://haveibeenpwned.com/ <== You mentioned to me that one of your emails showed up here for at least one data breach.
https://haveibeenpwned.com/Passwords <== enter the password presented in the email here and you'll see that it was obtained via a breach.
Bottom line, if the password is still in use by you, change it. Ignore the ransom scam email. it's garbage.
-steve
Author:  jaylach [ Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Ya, the password showed as breached but not where.

Yes I changed a bunch of passwords since it has been too long since done. The thing that got me a bit is that the stated password does show as breached through your password link but I really can't think of anytime I've used the exact phrase. Hmmm, possibly my photo gallery. I guess I just go and change that too. ;)
Author:  sboots [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
it would seem that the password was used at a site that also used the email address you received the email at and that site was compromised in some way to allow your email address and that password to be associated with each other.
Author:  jaylach [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 12:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
My guess is that the problem derived from a breach of Home Depot several years ago. That breach also caused me some grief with my bank card. Didn't lose anything but my bank killed the card.
Author:  jaylach [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 2:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Funny that I got the scam email yesterday and MBAM has an article on it that I received today. Here is a link.
https://blog.malwarebytes.com/cybercrim ... ent=webcam
Author:  sboots [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 3:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Yep -- it's been around for a while and keeps coming back. I think I received 2 or 3 of them last week. The first one I got was several months ago. I knew then it was a scam since I don't visit porn sites at all, but I was concerned about the password. I've been changing passwords all over the place since. :-P
I am guilty of password re-use!
Author:  jaylach [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 3:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Same as you Steve. I knew it was a scam but was concerned about the password even though it is one I haven't used in ages.
Author:  JoanA [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 4:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Can't say I've had one like that Jay, I tend to get more phone scam calls rather than email scams. I do get the occasional one I had one that was supposed to be from Paypal, think it was last week, but of course as it didn't address me by name I knew it was false, plus it came into an email account I've never used for Paypal. Just hovering over the link shows it's dodgy.
Author:  jaylach [ Wed Feb 20, 2019 5:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
It was the first one of the kind I've gotten. Usually I just get people trying to sell me photo editing services and fake inheritances. LOL! Like I really need the photo editing services. I just select to block sender but these people must have about a million email accounts.
Author:  JoanA [ Thu Feb 21, 2019 8:38 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
It's as bad with phone call scams, as quick as you block a number up it comes again with a different one, I've got that many on my blocked sender list. :rofl2:
Author:  sboots [ Fri Mar 08, 2019 11:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
Had a new twist on this scam last night. I received the usual email demanding payment, sent to my primary email address, but instead of a password that had been obtained via a breach, it referred to my mobile phone number. Amusingly, it only presented the last 2 digits of the phone number to support the claim that they had infiltrated my computer. :-P Not a very convincing piece of evidence, besides the fact that the details the scammer supposedly had involving porn sites was literally impossible, as I don't visit porn sites. :-D
Author:  jaylach [ Fri Mar 08, 2019 5:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
I find it hard as to which I hate more; scam emails or robotic phone solicitations.
Author:  sboots [ Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Anyone ever get an email threat like this?
I think I hate them both equally. Well, maybe the hackers that steal these credentials to sell to the scammers even more.
-steve
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