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Sextortion scams now include photos of your home.

New, by me:

"This week, several readers reported receiving sextortion emails that addressed them by name and included images of their street or front yard that were apparently lifted from an online mapping application such as Google Maps.

The message purports to have been sent from a hacker who’s compromised your computer and used your webcam to record a video of you while you were watching porn. The missive threatens to release the video to all of your contacts unless you pay a Bitcoin ransom. In this case, the ransom demand is just shy of $2,000, payable via Bitcoin by scanning a QR code embedded in the email.

Following a salutation that includes the recipient's full name, the start of the message reads, "Is visiting [recipient's street address] a more convenient way to contact if you don't take action. Nice location btw." Below that is the photo of the recipient's street address."

https://krebsonsecurity.com/2024/09/sextortion-scams-now-include-photos-of-your-home/

in reply to BrianKrebs

Why is the kerning in the email body so poor? Is this some anti-spam detection technique where they replace characters with other lookalikes?
in reply to BrianKrebs

Whenever I read about stuff like this, I wonder how many of these blackmailers vanish quietly because eventually they tried to blackmail one of the 1:1,000 members of society who is a psychopath.

Over the course of my life I have met, interviewed, and analyzed people whose response to such a letter would be excitement, not fear, and their dark curiosity and hunger would be aroused in a probably terminal way.

It sort of blows my mind that the scammers don't get this

in reply to BrianKrebs

That is why I always watch porn with a straight face.
in reply to BrianKrebs

Luckily my reputation is so bad a few videos of me jerking off to adult movies no longer will hurt.
in reply to BrianKrebs

I get these breathless "You've been so, so naughty on the Intertubes!!!" all the time

I just laugh and delete, because:

1) I am an adult in any legal jurisdiction on this planet, and

2) I do *not* have any computer with a web cam nor any cam that views "my room" so no, no one has seen me pleasuring myself

Sorry, bro

Nice try, but you're a clown

This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to BrianKrebs

I wonder what happens if you just send them back a message with a bunch of embeded GIFs of you actually doing the deed. Or inviting them to your actual Onlyfans or something. Really trying to get them to fling you a few bucks for your "exlusive content" 😂
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to BrianKrebs

no webcam, and delisted myself from Streetview. should be alright, I think.
This entry was edited (2 weeks ago)
in reply to BrianKrebs

I've recieved some of these types of emails. I report them to my provider and then move on.
in reply to BrianKrebs

Good luck pulling this off with anyone in an apartment or condo. Showing the front entrance to a building with 400 units in it kind of breaks the spell.
in reply to BrianKrebs

One does wonder if the recent 'release' of the larger databrokers made this possible.

While many people here will scoff at this obvious ploy, we have teens killing themselves over things like this, because they can't spot the scam, can't make the payment, & are terrified of being exposed.

Imagine the reaction of your younger self to see a picture of your house attached to this & how freaked you would be.

in reply to BrianKrebs

https://youtu.be/ReQInImPXz0?si=dsdF1tAEsFuV1tba
in reply to BrianKrebs

It's 2024. How many people are still embarrassed if someone learns that they watched "Samson and Delilah ... and Desdemona ... and Deirdre"?

I guess, as with most spam, they only need 1 in 10,000 to make money.

in reply to BrianKrebs

If they actually had people’s photos, and were following through with the threat to send them to “all of your contacts”, a high percentage of the content of all Junk folders everywhere would be cringe-pics of various friends and relations. This is thankfully not the case.
in reply to BrianKrebs

Asexual people must be laughing.

Technically not ace (maybe gray-ace?) but I had to pause a moment before I realized the implication was that if you were watching porn you'd be touching yourself rather than trying not to die of boredom.

Also I have no contacts so there's that... Being raised under a rock has some benefits I guess.

in reply to BrianKrebs

I saw a news release about this type of thing recently. Apparently Google has a tool in which you can blur your location photo on their website. I haven't done it yet, but now I think I will. If you need more info, leave a message. I'm also Irregularjoe on Twitter.
Thanks.
in reply to BrianKrebs

my wife just received one of these this morning. She wondered about sending it to the police and I told her it was pointless.
in reply to BrianKrebs

a neighbor of mine got one of these and was asking me for help with it. Good to know this is specifically targeting people. It had all the hallmarks of a scam email but these are getting so personal now, it’s hard not to let it make you concerned
in reply to BrianKrebs

Got one on Sunday. The picture they used was of edge of my neighbor’s house…if you have my address, why not look up Zillow pictures to threaten me with?

It was a good laugh.

in reply to BrianKrebs

I got one of these this week! It was so weird, and the photo was like of a random sidewalk cuz I live in a city.
in reply to BrianKrebs

Oh, I got two of those. The picture's wrong. I reported 'em as spam and phishing and went back to playing Fallout 4.