An Old Scam Making the Rounds Again

An Old Scam Making the Rounds Again

This one was going around some years ago, but disappeared.

Now it seems to be making a comeback.

Perhaps because bitcoin has made it easy to accept untraceable payments.

I've received this email to three of my email addresses in the past week:

"Hello pervert,

I want to inform you about a very bad situation for you. However, you can benefit from it, if you will act wisely.

Have you heard of Pegasus?

This is a spyware program that installs on computers and smartphones and allows hackers to monitor the activity of device owners.

It provides access to your webcam, messengers, emails, call records, etc. It works well on Android, iOS, and Windows.

I guess, you already figured out where I'm getting at.

It's been a few months since I installed it on all your devices because you were not quite choosy about what links to click on the internet.

During this period, I've learned about all aspects of your private life, but one is of special significance to me.

I've recorded many videos of you jerking off to highly controversial porn videos.

Given that the "questionable" genre is almost always the same, I can conclude that you have sick perversion.

I doubt you'd want your friends, family and co-workers to know about it. However, I can do it in a few clicks.

Every number in your contact book will suddenly receive these videos - on WhatsApp, on Telegram, on Skype, on email - everywhere.

It is going to be a tsunami that will sweep away everything in its path, and first of all, your former life.

Don't think of yourself as an innocent victim. No one knows where your perversion might lead in the future, so consider this a kind of deserved punishment to stop you.

Better late than never.

I'm some kind of God who sees everything.

However, don't panic. As we know, God is merciful and forgiving, and so do I.

But my mercy is not free.

Transfer $1220 USD to my bitcoin wallet:
(redacted)

Once I receive confirmation of the transaction, I will permanently delete all videos compromising you, uninstall Pegasus from all of your devices, and disappear from your life. You can be sure - my benefit is only money.

Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing to you, but destroy your life without a word in a second.

I'll be notified when you open my email, and from that moment you have exactly 48 hours to send the money.

If cryptocurrencies are unchartered waters for you, don't worry, it's very simple.

Just google "crypto exchange" and then it will be no harder than buying some useless stuff on Amazon.

I strongly warn you against the following:

) Do not reply to this email. I sent it from a temp email so I am untraceable.

) Do not contact the police. I have access to all your devices, and as soon as I find out you ran to the cops, videos will be published.

) Don't try to reset or destroy your devices.

As I mentioned above: I'm monitoring all your activity, so you either agree to my terms or the videos are published.

Also, don't forget that cryptocurrencies are anonymous, so it's impossible to identify me using the provided address.

Good luck, my perverted friend. I hope this is the last time we hear from each other.

And some friendly advice: from now on, don't be so careless about your online security."

When I first got an email like this one years ago, I replied saying yes please, do send the videos to everyone in my contact list, as I was sure that they would be both impressed and envious.

And could I have a copy for my own personal records?

Then I realized that the scammers never see any responses.

Their targets are divided into two categories.

1. Those who are stupid (or naive) enough to pay the ransom and
2. Those who are smart enough to not pay the ransom.

They are only interested in the first category and the only metric is how much money (or bitcoin) appears in their account.

Then rinse and repeat.

An interesting thing with the email of years ago is that a few days later, I received an affiliate link to an Amazon product for a webcam cover.

Coincidence? Maybe.

Anyway, just another scam warning from me.