What is Sextortion and why cybercriminals love it?

What Is Sextortion And Why Cybercriminals Love It

This blackmail is not new but has organizations asking what is Sextortion? Find out why cybercriminals love it and how to protect yourself from it.

Cyber criminals will threaten to send a sexual image or video of you to other people in your contact list if you do not pay them or provide more sexual content.  Let’s be clear, this is cyber criminals trying to get the upper hand on you.

If you have not been targeted by cyber criminals already, you have been lucky, but you may have heard od sextortion as it has become very popular.

Sextortion saw a large spike in 2018 where cyber criminals claimed to have hacked into devices and recorded via web cam.  It is unlikely that the cyber criminals have been able to use this password to access your computer’s content, webcam or even browsing history. The is strictly a scare tactic into getting victims to make a payment.

The sextortion email body may contain the following wording including spelling mistakes and grammar mistakes:

Email of Sextortion Example 1:

I know ******** is your pass. Lets get directly to point. No-one has paid me to check you. You may not know me and you are most likely wondering why you are getting this e-mail?

in fact, i actually installed a malware on the xxx streaming (porno) web site and there’s more, you visited this web site to experience fun (you know what i mean). When you were viewing videos, your internet browser started out working as a Remote control Desktop that has a keylogger which provided me accessibility to your screen as well as webcam. Right after that, my software program gathered all your contacts from your Messenger, FB, and emailaccount. Next i made a video. 1st part shows the video you were watching (you have a good taste omg), and second part shows the recording of your cam, and it is u.

You got two solutions. Let us read up on each of these solutions in aspects:

1st option is to neglect this email. as a result, i will send out your video clip to every single one of your personal contacts and thus think concerning the embarrassment you feel. in addition should you be in a romance, exactly how it will eventually affect?

2nd choice is to give me 7000 USD. We will regard it as a donation. in this case, i most certainly will instantaneously eliminate your video. You could resume everyday life like this never took place and you will not hear back again from me.

You’ll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search for ‘how to buy bitcoin’ in Google search engine).

BTC address to send to: ********

[CaSe SeNSiTiVe copy & paste it]

if you have been wondering about going to the cops, well, this message cannot be traced back to me. I have covered my moves. i am just not attempting to ask you for money very much, i want to be paid. i’ve a specific pixel in this email message, and right now i know that you have read through this message. You have one day in order to make the payment. if i don’t get the BitCoins, i will definately send out your video recording to all of your contacts including close relatives, colleagues, etc. Nevertheless, if i do get paid, i’ll destroy the recording immediately. if you need evidence, reply Yeah! & i definitely will send out your video to your 11 friends. This is the non-negotiable offer and so please do not waste mine time and yours by replying to this email message.

Email of Sextortion Example 2:

I do know, ********, is your pass word. You may not know me and you are probably thinking why you are getting this email, right?

In fact, I setup a malware on the adult vids (pornography) web-site and do you know what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were watching video clips, your web browser initiated operating as a RDP (Remote Desktop) with a key logger which gave me accessibility to your display and webcam. Immediately after that, my software program obtained your entire contacts from your Messenger, social networks, as well as email.

What did I do?

I created a double-screen video. First part displays the video you were viewing (you’ve got a good taste rofl), and 2nd part displays the recording of your web camera.

What should you do?

Well, I believe, $1900 is a fair price tag for our little secret. You will make the payment via Bitcoin (if you don’t know this, search “how to buy bitcoin” in Google).

BTC Address: **********************************

(It is cAsE sensitive, so copy and paste it)

Important:

You now have one day to make the payment. (I have a special pixel in this email message, and right now I know that you have read this email message). If I don’t get the BitCoins, I will definately send out your video recording to all of your contacts including relatives, coworkers, and so on. Having said that, if I do get paid, I’ll destroy the video immidiately. If you need proof, reply with “Yes!” and I will send your video to your 8 contacts. It is a non-negotiable offer, that being said please don’t waste my time and yours by replying to this mail.

How did they get my password?

Do you use the same password on multiple websites including social media?  It is very likely that your password and email account may have been collected in one of the numerous data leaks that have occurred to major online services and is now for sale on the dark web.

Is your email address compromised?

It may look like your email has been compromised and we have seen some versions of this sextortion scam where it looks like the email has been sent from the victim’s own email address.  This process can make it seem like the email account has been compromised however this is called ‘spoofed’.

Email spoofing is when the sender of an email, fakes the email header “From” address so the email being sent appears to have been sent from a legitimate email address.

Are you a victim of sextortion?

Here is a list of items to do if you have been a victim of a sextortion scam:

  • Do not panic and stay calm. If you feel you have been compromised, you can report to Canadian Centre for Child Protection or Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
  • Never communicate with the cyber criminals. Communication with them is telling them that there is someone on the other side.
  • Never pay a ransomware or comply with the threat. You will not improve the situation by doing either of these things.
  • If you did communicate, keep all correspondence such as usernames along with any images and/or videos that were sent.
  • Do not reuse passwords. It is important that you create a new password with every site you use.
  • Use MFA/2FA Multi-factor authentication to improve your security including social media websites.

What is Sextortion and why cybercriminals love it? Because it pays out of fear.

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