CERT Polska warns of a new wave of suspicious emails sent by criminals to Internet users. In the messages, they blackmail their potential victims and demand a ransom in bitcoins.
CERT Polska: don’t let hackers get to you!
Attention, we are observing another mass mailing of emails from an alleged “hacker”. The scammer is trying to blackmail you into paying in bitcoins for not publishing the compromising recording. Remember, there is no such film – it’s spam. Be careful and report the emails to us
– CERT Polska wrote on its fanpage.
The post includes a screenshot of a message that the “hacker” is sending to Internet users. It describes how the alleged cybercriminal tries to convince the victim that he has managed to gain access to her computer. As a result, he has allegedly been watching her “for several months.”
Then the criminal “tightens the screw.”
The fact is that your computer was infected with malware through an adult website you visited
– we read.
The author of the email then describes what a Trojan is – a program that gives “full access and control over a computer or other device.”
This means that I can see everything on your screen, turn on your camera and microphone, but you don’t know about it
– threatens and adds that he already has access to all of the victim’s contacts.
It then explains why the antivirus program failed to detect the malware, which is “driver-based.”
(…) I update its signatures every 4 hours
– he adds.
Then we get to the heart of the matter. The “hacker” claims to have recorded a video showing the internet user whose computer he allegedly hacked “relieving himself” while watching an adult movie. The scammer, of course, threatens to send the video to the unfortunate person’s friends. However, he gives him a chance to get out of this situation. He demands a ransom in bitcoin. The victim is to send him the equivalent of $950 in BTC.
How to avoid being targeted by criminals?
Of course, everything in the email is a lie. It’s a way to extort money from a terrified person. But how can you avoid falling for these types of cynical criminals?
First of all, it is worth having an antivirus program and regularly updating its database of detected viruses. It would also not hurt to put a plaster over the camera on our computer. This will ensure that even in the event of a successful attack, no one will record us in a private situation. It is also worth not visiting suspicious websites and not opening attachments in emails that we receive from people we do not know.
