Latest email scam going around. Do not fall for this!

There's a new scam going around that is striking fear in everyone who receives the email. The subject line or body may include a password that you have probably used in the past. The sender says they have used that password to hack into your computer, install malware, and record video of you through your webcam. The "From" email address is usually yours and they will cite this as proof that they've hacked your email. They almost always say they will reveal your adult-website habits and send video of you to your contacts and friends unless you send them Bitcoin to the tune of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. An example of such an email is in the image included.

The password may be legitimate. They obtained it from one of the large data breaches that have happened over the past few years. Most of the time it's an older password that you haven't used in years. But they use this to scare you into believing they have hacked into your computer and to pay up or they will tell everyone everything about you. But the content of the email is a scam! None of what they say is true. They have not hacked into your computer or device and they have not been spying on you. This is simply an extortion attempt to scare you into paying up.

But how were they able to send the email from your email account? They may have legitimately sent it from your account because that was the email and password combination that was breached from the past corporate hack. But more than likely, they forged the address. It's quite easy to fake the return address of an email so it looks like it was sent from your account. A simple examination of the email header will show the true sender's IP address and email server name, and it's probably not Happy Dog's.

Remember that millions of email addresses and passwords have been stolen from large companies over the past few years so yours may be out there. This is a perfect example why it's so important to change your passwords frequently. But even if you are still using the password that the email included, the chances are very high that they never actually used it. It's not about that. They just want your cash. Change your password, delete the email, and that should be the end of it. And from that point forward, make a vow to change your passwords frequently! Today's password may be included in tomorrow's data breach. Be safe out there!

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Posted  11/23/2018, 18:05pm

Updated:  10/25/2019, 15:30pm

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