PC PORN EMAIL IS A BID TO EXTORT

SCAMMERS are blackmailing people by pretending they have been caught on camera watching pornography. In order to convince people they have been recorded, cyber criminals are emailing victims with their passwords in an attempt to trick them into believing they have been filmed on their computer watching porn. They then demand money.

There have been more than 100 reports made to Action Fraud from concerned victims who have received these scary emails.

Sending people’s passwords in the subject line of the email is a new type of scam that the authorities say they have not seen before.

Several victims have been contacted by police to verify this information, who have confirmed that these passwords are genuine and recent.

The email demands payment in Bitcoin and claims that the victim has been filmed on their computer watching porn.

It is believed the victims’ passwords may have been taken from an old data breach.

After running some of the victims’ email addresses through “Have i been pwned?”, a website that allows people to check if their account has been compromised in a data breach, Action Fraud found that almost all of the accounts were at risk.

Police have offered the following advice to avoid falling for the scam:

Don’t be rushed or pressured into making a decision: paying only highlights that you’re vulnerable and that you may be targeted again. The police advise that you do not pay criminals;

secure it – change your password immediately and reset it on any other accounts you’ve used the same one for. Always use a strong, separate password.

whenever possible, enable two-factor authentication (2FA); do not email the fraudsters back; always update your anti-virus software and operating systems regularly; cover your webcam when not in use; if you have received one of these emails and paid the fine, report it to your local police force. If you have not paid, report it as a phishing attempt to Action Fraud.