It’s actually pretty easy to tell if a sextortion scam email is real. The simple answer is it just doesn’t contain any proof.
How a sextortion email works. Many times you will get them out of the blue. You will get an email that claims they have pics or video of you doing something sexual in nature. The scammers then tell you in the email, if you don’t pay them a certain amount of money they will release the video of you to your friends and family and your contacts.
If this is real it can be devastating for those who are involved. This can really mess with someone and make them just about lose their mind. Worst part is you don’t even know exactly what pics or videos they have.
You start to think, was my computer really compromised? Did they really steal an attachment or is this just part of some internet scams?
And other than saying they have evidence on you they want anywhere from $300-$800 dollars to make it go away and worse yet you don’t have anything to give.
Sextortion scams run rampant on the internet, especially from data breaches and the dark web. If you have been part of a data breach then there are steps you can take to fix everything.
The truth really is though most Sextortion emails are phishing scams developed by online criminals.
Claims Scammers Make To Get You To Respond
Scammers will claim many things and they are usually lies. They will claim they have:
- Entrance to your webcam or videos
- All of your contacts from your list
- Your laptop and or home router
If you have never run a security check on your router, then it’s possible a hacker could crack into your system. But again it doesn’t mean they have actually broken into your computer and have financial information.
How a Scammer Might Get
It is very possible a scammer or hacker has gained admission to your personal information. And the way they do this is via malware that’s loaded on your PC. You may visit a website and its loaded on your device.
Not protecting your computer is how actual identity theft occurs. They are always counting on the victim to pay their ransom fee.
Via Email Spam or Virus
Another way they get in to everything is by mail. They will send you what’s called a trojan horse virus attached to an email. This virus allows them to gain backdoor to your system so they can steal your info. Many emails are just phishing scams trying top social engineer your details
Stolen Password
On the Dark Web passwords are sold that these internet scam artists steal from people. Places like the dark web are filled with . Embarrassing content and personal that has been stolen from many people.
Access To Your Contacts
Another way they get intel is from your contacts list and by searching your emails. This is a very common way they get very personal information. And it may take them a while but they can find very juicy parts of information about someone this way. Always protect your contacts.
Protecting Yourself From Sextortion Emails
We’ve talked about how things happen and how cyber criminals gain access to your information. Now let’s switch gears and talk about how to protect yourself.
Always use two factor authentication – Always using this type of security technology will stop anyone from getting your stuff.
Use an antivirus – Use a quality antivirus on your PC to make sure you never get compromised.
Never install a thumb drive without scanning its content first.
Hide your pictures and video into a folder that is encrypted. Don’t just leave attachments in email especially if you have pics you don’t want anyone to see. Always grab these pics from your email and place them in your secure folder.
Use strong passwords on any computer you own and change them regularly. You need to do this because software can always change and steal your passwords.
Never Pay Anyone Online You Don’t Know
Never pay scammers who are asking, even if you think they have real things. They may be the real deal and have real information. But if you pay them you will become a target for them and they will continue asking.
When a victim pays the ransom they quickly find out it was the wrong thing to do.
Contacting The FBI
The FBi is there to help Americans who fall victim to scams like these, you have to do is contact your local FBI office. However, there is little the federal bureau of investigation will do for a small crime and or a crime coming from out of the United States of America. Still your could report it to them and see if they could help you.
Make sure to save your emails so you can show all the threats you have. But again the fbi encourages you to be proactive and protect everything with good antivirus software.
Why Did I Receive This Sextortion Email?
Many people ask the question, why did I receive such an email from a random person? The answer is many people just want money and they think this way is easy for them.
Also, about 45% of all emails on the internet are spam.
And they think sending out a message over and over again is work. They send out hundreds of emails daily and create many victims who have their accounts compromised.
It’s really not your fault, these scam people just target randomly and do not care who they hit. Just always be sure to secure your other personal information. Protect your passwords, messages, any payment you make, accounts, data, email account, personal contacts and personal accounts.
Data Breaches
Another reason you get an email is because of data breaches from the dark web. According to the internet crime complaint center and the your local fbi office says, you need to be cautious when connecting online. These people can even get your phone numbers.
These breaches of compromised accounts are by far one of the quickest ways criminals gain access to everything from individuals and businesses.
You can count on Digital Investigation to help you sort out any extortion emails you have received.
