WISCONSIN — In recent weeks, we have heard of a number of consumers being targeted by a nasty sextortion email scam.
Here is what is happening: the consumer gets an email stating that their computer has been hacked and that the scammer has video proof that they have viewed pornographic websites.
The scammer also provides an actual password that the consumer has or is using for an account. They tell the consumer that they must pay a large sum of money in bitcoin or they will release this embarrassing video to all of the consumer’s contacts.
Consumers who have received this e-mail have become very worried, and are wondering how the scammer got their email and password.
Well, due to the large number of data breaches that have happened in recent years, these scammers have accessed this information and are targeting thousands of email accounts.
If you get an email like this do not fall for it. It is unlikely that the scammer has hacked your computer, nor do they have embarrassing video of you. It is, however, a good idea to check your security settings, change passwords frequently, and avoid using old passwords on one or more accounts.
If you continue to receive these types of emails, contact the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center here.
