Alarm for new extortion scam on the Internet – What users should pay attention to

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In particular, according to the Internet Crime Prosecution Office, unknown perpetrators, using fraudulent e-mail accounts, send bulk messages to recipients and inform them that they know their security passwords. At the same time, they notify them that malware has been installed, after visiting a site, that has activated the camera and recorded them in personal moments. It is then noted that malicious software has collected all user contacts from social media and the perpetrators threaten to send the affected material to their contacts in case they do not receive bitcoins. The attempted extortion of victims with the threat of disclosure of erotic content is internationally referred to as sexual extortion “sextortion”. The Electronic Crime Prosecutor’s Office urges recipients of misleading blackmail messages to address these specific incidents:

• Ignore the messages and not deposit money in the accounts cited by the offender.
• Do not open any attachments in emails from unknown senders.
• Never communicate for any reason with the blackmailers.
• Change immediately any password that they think is at stake.
• Evaluate their computer’s security settings.

ANA-MNA   Source: www.alfavita.gr