New sextortion threat making the rounds
I got a threatening extortion email this morning promising that unless I paid $2,000 in bitcoin within 24 hours:
"I will certainly make sure that you live out of guilt for the rest of your lifetime."
With so many sheltering at home and time hanging heavy on their hands, it wouldn't be a surprise if porn sites are getting a boost. Thus, the timing of this threat.
The email claimed:
. . . I know pretty much everything about you. Your entire Facebook contact list, phone contacts along with all the virtual activity on your computer from the past 178 days.
. . . Well the last time you went to see the porn material webpages, my spyware was activated inside your personal computer which ended up logging a lovely video footage of your masturbation play simply by activating your cam.
(you got seriously unusual taste btw lmfao)
Their word choices and syntax indicates that English is not their native language. Really, "porn material webpages?"
Given how many details about me it got wrong, the perp obviously knows almost nothing about me -- other than my email address. I suspect they got that from the Ashley Madison hack, which I've written about before.
I got a number of sextortion threats from that hack and ignored all with zero consequences. You can safely do the same.
The crux of the threat is summed up in Proverbs 28:1:
The wicked flee when no man pursueth: But the righteous are bold as a lion.
The scammers are counting on some percentage of recipients to be so frightened and ashamed that they fork over $2,000 for a promise to be left alone in the future. A promise that is as worthless as their threats. Once you've found a mark, why quit?
The Storage Bits take
Sextortion scammers are scum in the best of times. To strike during global isolation mandates is a new low. Do everyone a favor and ignore their threats. It's the internet version of herd immunity: If we all do, they'll stop.
Comments welcome.