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Received an email saying someone has hacked my email account
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I received an email saying that someone has hacked my email over 6 months ago and they say that through it they have infected my operating system with a virus. They say they have access to all my accounts, browsing history, photos, files on my computer, they also said that they have taken screenshots through the camera on my device.
Is this at all possible? I do have a computer that I use occasionally but mainly go through my iPad or iPhone.
ios email hacking
edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
asked yesterday
sam utting
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up vote
10
down vote
favorite
I received an email saying that someone has hacked my email over 6 months ago and they say that through it they have infected my operating system with a virus. They say they have access to all my accounts, browsing history, photos, files on my computer, they also said that they have taken screenshots through the camera on my device.
Is this at all possible? I do have a computer that I use occasionally but mainly go through my iPad or iPhone.
ios email hacking
edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Is this computer running macOS? In any case, it is possible that your computer is affected by ransomware, but just knowing your email credentials does not necessarily provide the hacker with access to your files, much less your computer camera. If, however, you have installed unknown or suspicious software coming through your email via attachment or link, you could have been compromised.
– Jaime Santa Cruz
yesterday
2
Clearly they hacked your password from somewhere, most likely a forum. This illustrates why you must use strong, unique passwords for everything. That said, it's a scam. All they did was get emails and passwords, the password is probably not for the email account (unless you are particularly bad as assigning passwords). They didn't touch your computer, they don't have links of the porn sites you go to. You can't even email them back, thats how fake it is.
– l008com
22 hours ago
12
It is worth noting that receiving an e-mail does not mean your e-mail has been hacked or compromised. Your e-mail address is likely public or guessable. These e-mails are sent blindly to thousands of possible e-mail addresses. Do not worry. We get e-mails like this every few days to our public company address; we ignore them all.
– Graham Miln
20 hours ago
1
Related
– Tom K.
18 hours ago
1
Are they asking you to take any actions to "secure" your account? (If they are, don't take any of them). Are there links in the email? (if there are, don't click any of them). The actions they're trying to get you to take can speak volumes towards what they're doing.
– Lord Farquaad
15 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
10
down vote
favorite
up vote
10
down vote
favorite
I received an email saying that someone has hacked my email over 6 months ago and they say that through it they have infected my operating system with a virus. They say they have access to all my accounts, browsing history, photos, files on my computer, they also said that they have taken screenshots through the camera on my device.
Is this at all possible? I do have a computer that I use occasionally but mainly go through my iPad or iPhone.
ios email hacking
edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I received an email saying that someone has hacked my email over 6 months ago and they say that through it they have infected my operating system with a virus. They say they have access to all my accounts, browsing history, photos, files on my computer, they also said that they have taken screenshots through the camera on my device.
Is this at all possible? I do have a computer that I use occasionally but mainly go through my iPad or iPhone.
ios email hacking
ios email hacking
edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
edited 19 mins ago
grg♦
128k24202303
128k24202303
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
asked yesterday
sam utting
5413
5413
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
sam utting is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Is this computer running macOS? In any case, it is possible that your computer is affected by ransomware, but just knowing your email credentials does not necessarily provide the hacker with access to your files, much less your computer camera. If, however, you have installed unknown or suspicious software coming through your email via attachment or link, you could have been compromised.
– Jaime Santa Cruz
yesterday
2
Clearly they hacked your password from somewhere, most likely a forum. This illustrates why you must use strong, unique passwords for everything. That said, it's a scam. All they did was get emails and passwords, the password is probably not for the email account (unless you are particularly bad as assigning passwords). They didn't touch your computer, they don't have links of the porn sites you go to. You can't even email them back, thats how fake it is.
– l008com
22 hours ago
12
It is worth noting that receiving an e-mail does not mean your e-mail has been hacked or compromised. Your e-mail address is likely public or guessable. These e-mails are sent blindly to thousands of possible e-mail addresses. Do not worry. We get e-mails like this every few days to our public company address; we ignore them all.
– Graham Miln
20 hours ago
1
Related
– Tom K.
18 hours ago
1
Are they asking you to take any actions to "secure" your account? (If they are, don't take any of them). Are there links in the email? (if there are, don't click any of them). The actions they're trying to get you to take can speak volumes towards what they're doing.
– Lord Farquaad
15 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Is this computer running macOS? In any case, it is possible that your computer is affected by ransomware, but just knowing your email credentials does not necessarily provide the hacker with access to your files, much less your computer camera. If, however, you have installed unknown or suspicious software coming through your email via attachment or link, you could have been compromised.
– Jaime Santa Cruz
yesterday
2
Clearly they hacked your password from somewhere, most likely a forum. This illustrates why you must use strong, unique passwords for everything. That said, it's a scam. All they did was get emails and passwords, the password is probably not for the email account (unless you are particularly bad as assigning passwords). They didn't touch your computer, they don't have links of the porn sites you go to. You can't even email them back, thats how fake it is.
– l008com
22 hours ago
12
It is worth noting that receiving an e-mail does not mean your e-mail has been hacked or compromised. Your e-mail address is likely public or guessable. These e-mails are sent blindly to thousands of possible e-mail addresses. Do not worry. We get e-mails like this every few days to our public company address; we ignore them all.
– Graham Miln
20 hours ago
1
Related
– Tom K.
18 hours ago
1
Are they asking you to take any actions to "secure" your account? (If they are, don't take any of them). Are there links in the email? (if there are, don't click any of them). The actions they're trying to get you to take can speak volumes towards what they're doing.
– Lord Farquaad
15 hours ago
Is this computer running macOS? In any case, it is possible that your computer is affected by ransomware, but just knowing your email credentials does not necessarily provide the hacker with access to your files, much less your computer camera. If, however, you have installed unknown or suspicious software coming through your email via attachment or link, you could have been compromised.
– Jaime Santa Cruz
yesterday
Is this computer running macOS? In any case, it is possible that your computer is affected by ransomware, but just knowing your email credentials does not necessarily provide the hacker with access to your files, much less your computer camera. If, however, you have installed unknown or suspicious software coming through your email via attachment or link, you could have been compromised.
– Jaime Santa Cruz
yesterday
2
2
Clearly they hacked your password from somewhere, most likely a forum. This illustrates why you must use strong, unique passwords for everything. That said, it's a scam. All they did was get emails and passwords, the password is probably not for the email account (unless you are particularly bad as assigning passwords). They didn't touch your computer, they don't have links of the porn sites you go to. You can't even email them back, thats how fake it is.
– l008com
22 hours ago
Clearly they hacked your password from somewhere, most likely a forum. This illustrates why you must use strong, unique passwords for everything. That said, it's a scam. All they did was get emails and passwords, the password is probably not for the email account (unless you are particularly bad as assigning passwords). They didn't touch your computer, they don't have links of the porn sites you go to. You can't even email them back, thats how fake it is.
– l008com
22 hours ago
12
12
It is worth noting that receiving an e-mail does not mean your e-mail has been hacked or compromised. Your e-mail address is likely public or guessable. These e-mails are sent blindly to thousands of possible e-mail addresses. Do not worry. We get e-mails like this every few days to our public company address; we ignore them all.
– Graham Miln
20 hours ago
It is worth noting that receiving an e-mail does not mean your e-mail has been hacked or compromised. Your e-mail address is likely public or guessable. These e-mails are sent blindly to thousands of possible e-mail addresses. Do not worry. We get e-mails like this every few days to our public company address; we ignore them all.
– Graham Miln
20 hours ago
1
1
Related
– Tom K.
18 hours ago
Related
– Tom K.
18 hours ago
1
1
Are they asking you to take any actions to "secure" your account? (If they are, don't take any of them). Are there links in the email? (if there are, don't click any of them). The actions they're trying to get you to take can speak volumes towards what they're doing.
– Lord Farquaad
15 hours ago
Are they asking you to take any actions to "secure" your account? (If they are, don't take any of them). Are there links in the email? (if there are, don't click any of them). The actions they're trying to get you to take can speak volumes towards what they're doing.
– Lord Farquaad
15 hours ago
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
up vote
21
down vote
Fake. Delete It and Move On
I got a similar email last week and it is fake. All the details you mentioned are identical to the email I received. In my case, I use 2-factor authentication for my Gmail account, LastPass for my password management and a VPN for all my connected devices. The most telling part of the fakery is that the ‘hacker’ compromised you six months ago, yet has not taken any action. If they have the goods on you, why not sooner? Lastly, the email appeared in my Gmail SPAM filter. That’s the biggest clue to that it is SPAM.
Sample Spam
Hello!
My nickname in darknet is hort17.
I hacked this mailbox more than six months ago,
through it I infected your operating system with a virus (trojan) created by me and have been monitoring you for a long time.
So, your password from is (and incorrect, btw).
Even if you changed the password after that - it does not matter, my virus intercepted all the caching data on your computer
and automatically saved access for me.
I have access to all your accounts, social networks, email, browsing history.
Accordingly, I have the data of all your contacts, files from your computer, photos and videos.
I was most struck by the intimate content sites that you occasionally visit.
You have a very wild imagination, I tell you!
During your pastime and entertainment there, I took screenshot through the camera of your device, synchronizing with what you are watching.
Oh my god! You are so funny and excited!
I think that you do not want all your contacts to get these files, right?
If you are of the same opinion, then I think that $890 is quite a fair price to destroy the dirt I created.
Send the above amount on my BTC wallet (bitcoin): 1EZS92[...redacted...]E62e9XY
As soon as the above amount is received, I guarantee that the data will be deleted, I do not need it.
Otherwise, these files and history of visiting sites will get all your contacts from your device.
Also, I'll send to everyone your contact access to your email and access logs, I have carefully saved it!
Since reading this letter you have 48 hours!
After your reading this message, I'll receive an automatic notification that you have seen the letter.
I hope I taught you a good lesson.
Do not be so nonchalant, please visit only to proven resources, and don't enter your passwords anywhere!
Good luck!
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
9
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
2
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
5
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
1
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
1
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
up vote
6
down vote
Yes, it is a scam. There are two clever things that it does to make itself appear real (at least, more real than most scams), but those can be relatively easily debunked.
Firstly, it uses your own e-mail address as the "From" address. However, just like you can write any address on the back of an envelope before slipping it in the box and no one is going to check whether it is really your address, you can in principle write any address in the "From" header of an e-mail. (Some e-mail services may not allow you to do this, but it is a limitation of those particular services, and not of the e-mail medium itself.) Therefore, just because your e-mail address appears is no proof that your account was compromised.
Secondly, it shows you a string that it claims is the password for your e-mail, and this claim actually has a non-negligible chance of being correct. Remember those "Big Website compromised; user data leaked!" headlines you see in the news from time to time? Well, you probably had an account on one of those websites using your e-mail address and that password; the scammer obtained that information from the leaked data and is betting that you use the same password for your e-mail account. Have I Been Pwned? is a useful service that aggregates all the leaked data from known breaches so you can check whether your e-mail or password appears in any of them.
Finally, you can search for the given bitcoin address on a bitcoin lookup service such as this one; it has almost certainly been reported as a scam already (and you can see from the address's activity that these scams do work).
answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
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up vote
2
down vote
There are only 2 things you need to do.
1. Change your password.
Most of the email addresses that are receiving these, are from leaked databases that may have contained your actual password. They are mass mailing and mail merging people from this database, looking for money, or even a response. Chances are high that they indeed DO have the correct password, it's why they include it in the email.
2. Do NOT respond. Delete the email.
Any response at all, singles you out from the literal millions of people in the same situation, is going to single you out from background noise. Whether you are saying "Get lost, that's not my password" or "Please don't hack me, here is $$$" or "Come at me, I have nothing important" You have still engaged them, told them it's a live email address, and that you are prone to reading and responding. This increases value in your email address and you will either be sold on as a 'lead' to someone else, or actively exploited by the spammer.
Never Ever consider paying them
If you pay them, they realize they had leverage, why would they stop when they just got a positive hit and payment? They will use this to pivot, blackmailing you further, actually hacking your accounts, grabbing nudes and distributing them on facebook etc, unless you pay them a monthly fee, or help them launder money, send parcels in the mail etc.
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
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up vote
0
down vote
I received the same email a few days ago and it's a load of rubbish. Just delete it and don't respond and don't click on the link.
answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
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1
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
add a comment |Â
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
4 Answers
4
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
21
down vote
Fake. Delete It and Move On
I got a similar email last week and it is fake. All the details you mentioned are identical to the email I received. In my case, I use 2-factor authentication for my Gmail account, LastPass for my password management and a VPN for all my connected devices. The most telling part of the fakery is that the ‘hacker’ compromised you six months ago, yet has not taken any action. If they have the goods on you, why not sooner? Lastly, the email appeared in my Gmail SPAM filter. That’s the biggest clue to that it is SPAM.
Sample Spam
Hello!
My nickname in darknet is hort17.
I hacked this mailbox more than six months ago,
through it I infected your operating system with a virus (trojan) created by me and have been monitoring you for a long time.
So, your password from is (and incorrect, btw).
Even if you changed the password after that - it does not matter, my virus intercepted all the caching data on your computer
and automatically saved access for me.
I have access to all your accounts, social networks, email, browsing history.
Accordingly, I have the data of all your contacts, files from your computer, photos and videos.
I was most struck by the intimate content sites that you occasionally visit.
You have a very wild imagination, I tell you!
During your pastime and entertainment there, I took screenshot through the camera of your device, synchronizing with what you are watching.
Oh my god! You are so funny and excited!
I think that you do not want all your contacts to get these files, right?
If you are of the same opinion, then I think that $890 is quite a fair price to destroy the dirt I created.
Send the above amount on my BTC wallet (bitcoin): 1EZS92[...redacted...]E62e9XY
As soon as the above amount is received, I guarantee that the data will be deleted, I do not need it.
Otherwise, these files and history of visiting sites will get all your contacts from your device.
Also, I'll send to everyone your contact access to your email and access logs, I have carefully saved it!
Since reading this letter you have 48 hours!
After your reading this message, I'll receive an automatic notification that you have seen the letter.
I hope I taught you a good lesson.
Do not be so nonchalant, please visit only to proven resources, and don't enter your passwords anywhere!
Good luck!
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
9
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
2
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
5
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
1
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
1
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
up vote
21
down vote
Fake. Delete It and Move On
I got a similar email last week and it is fake. All the details you mentioned are identical to the email I received. In my case, I use 2-factor authentication for my Gmail account, LastPass for my password management and a VPN for all my connected devices. The most telling part of the fakery is that the ‘hacker’ compromised you six months ago, yet has not taken any action. If they have the goods on you, why not sooner? Lastly, the email appeared in my Gmail SPAM filter. That’s the biggest clue to that it is SPAM.
Sample Spam
Hello!
My nickname in darknet is hort17.
I hacked this mailbox more than six months ago,
through it I infected your operating system with a virus (trojan) created by me and have been monitoring you for a long time.
So, your password from is (and incorrect, btw).
Even if you changed the password after that - it does not matter, my virus intercepted all the caching data on your computer
and automatically saved access for me.
I have access to all your accounts, social networks, email, browsing history.
Accordingly, I have the data of all your contacts, files from your computer, photos and videos.
I was most struck by the intimate content sites that you occasionally visit.
You have a very wild imagination, I tell you!
During your pastime and entertainment there, I took screenshot through the camera of your device, synchronizing with what you are watching.
Oh my god! You are so funny and excited!
I think that you do not want all your contacts to get these files, right?
If you are of the same opinion, then I think that $890 is quite a fair price to destroy the dirt I created.
Send the above amount on my BTC wallet (bitcoin): 1EZS92[...redacted...]E62e9XY
As soon as the above amount is received, I guarantee that the data will be deleted, I do not need it.
Otherwise, these files and history of visiting sites will get all your contacts from your device.
Also, I'll send to everyone your contact access to your email and access logs, I have carefully saved it!
Since reading this letter you have 48 hours!
After your reading this message, I'll receive an automatic notification that you have seen the letter.
I hope I taught you a good lesson.
Do not be so nonchalant, please visit only to proven resources, and don't enter your passwords anywhere!
Good luck!
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
9
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
2
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
5
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
1
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
1
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
up vote
21
down vote
up vote
21
down vote
Fake. Delete It and Move On
I got a similar email last week and it is fake. All the details you mentioned are identical to the email I received. In my case, I use 2-factor authentication for my Gmail account, LastPass for my password management and a VPN for all my connected devices. The most telling part of the fakery is that the ‘hacker’ compromised you six months ago, yet has not taken any action. If they have the goods on you, why not sooner? Lastly, the email appeared in my Gmail SPAM filter. That’s the biggest clue to that it is SPAM.
Sample Spam
Hello!
My nickname in darknet is hort17.
I hacked this mailbox more than six months ago,
through it I infected your operating system with a virus (trojan) created by me and have been monitoring you for a long time.
So, your password from is (and incorrect, btw).
Even if you changed the password after that - it does not matter, my virus intercepted all the caching data on your computer
and automatically saved access for me.
I have access to all your accounts, social networks, email, browsing history.
Accordingly, I have the data of all your contacts, files from your computer, photos and videos.
I was most struck by the intimate content sites that you occasionally visit.
You have a very wild imagination, I tell you!
During your pastime and entertainment there, I took screenshot through the camera of your device, synchronizing with what you are watching.
Oh my god! You are so funny and excited!
I think that you do not want all your contacts to get these files, right?
If you are of the same opinion, then I think that $890 is quite a fair price to destroy the dirt I created.
Send the above amount on my BTC wallet (bitcoin): 1EZS92[...redacted...]E62e9XY
As soon as the above amount is received, I guarantee that the data will be deleted, I do not need it.
Otherwise, these files and history of visiting sites will get all your contacts from your device.
Also, I'll send to everyone your contact access to your email and access logs, I have carefully saved it!
Since reading this letter you have 48 hours!
After your reading this message, I'll receive an automatic notification that you have seen the letter.
I hope I taught you a good lesson.
Do not be so nonchalant, please visit only to proven resources, and don't enter your passwords anywhere!
Good luck!
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
Fake. Delete It and Move On
I got a similar email last week and it is fake. All the details you mentioned are identical to the email I received. In my case, I use 2-factor authentication for my Gmail account, LastPass for my password management and a VPN for all my connected devices. The most telling part of the fakery is that the ‘hacker’ compromised you six months ago, yet has not taken any action. If they have the goods on you, why not sooner? Lastly, the email appeared in my Gmail SPAM filter. That’s the biggest clue to that it is SPAM.
Sample Spam
Hello!
My nickname in darknet is hort17.
I hacked this mailbox more than six months ago,
through it I infected your operating system with a virus (trojan) created by me and have been monitoring you for a long time.
So, your password from is (and incorrect, btw).
Even if you changed the password after that - it does not matter, my virus intercepted all the caching data on your computer
and automatically saved access for me.
I have access to all your accounts, social networks, email, browsing history.
Accordingly, I have the data of all your contacts, files from your computer, photos and videos.
I was most struck by the intimate content sites that you occasionally visit.
You have a very wild imagination, I tell you!
During your pastime and entertainment there, I took screenshot through the camera of your device, synchronizing with what you are watching.
Oh my god! You are so funny and excited!
I think that you do not want all your contacts to get these files, right?
If you are of the same opinion, then I think that $890 is quite a fair price to destroy the dirt I created.
Send the above amount on my BTC wallet (bitcoin): 1EZS92[...redacted...]E62e9XY
As soon as the above amount is received, I guarantee that the data will be deleted, I do not need it.
Otherwise, these files and history of visiting sites will get all your contacts from your device.
Also, I'll send to everyone your contact access to your email and access logs, I have carefully saved it!
Since reading this letter you have 48 hours!
After your reading this message, I'll receive an automatic notification that you have seen the letter.
I hope I taught you a good lesson.
Do not be so nonchalant, please visit only to proven resources, and don't enter your passwords anywhere!
Good luck!
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
edited 17 hours ago
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
answered yesterday
IconDaemon
11.2k62741
11.2k62741
9
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
2
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
5
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
1
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
1
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
9
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
2
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
5
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
1
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
1
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
9
9
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
Hahahahaha. Tbh this is a better phishing attempt then most. But some dead give aways are the use of buzz words. "darknet" "synchronizing" "passwords" "data" "cache". Also the sense of urgency, "48 hours". Lastly, if you take out the emotion there is 0 information. No proof that he has anything: passwords, emails, pictures, porn (which is apparently "very wild"😜 ). But nice try...
– JBis
23 hours ago
2
2
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
Thanks for the edits, Graham. I posted while in motion (Uber was driving) and had to save sooner than expected.
– IconDaemon
23 hours ago
5
5
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
The password that it claims is the one for your e-mail is probably one you have used long ago on a website that got compromised (at least it is for me). See if it is in the Have I Been Pwned? password database.
– fkraiem
22 hours ago
1
1
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
I got this same email, for what it's worth along with a password I've used in the past, but not for that specific email account. Always use unique passwords!
– rrauenza
18 hours ago
1
1
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
@fkraiem Hmmmmm I wonder how they got your password. My spidey senses say someone hasn't been hashing....
– JBis
16 hours ago
 |Â
show 3 more comments
up vote
6
down vote
Yes, it is a scam. There are two clever things that it does to make itself appear real (at least, more real than most scams), but those can be relatively easily debunked.
Firstly, it uses your own e-mail address as the "From" address. However, just like you can write any address on the back of an envelope before slipping it in the box and no one is going to check whether it is really your address, you can in principle write any address in the "From" header of an e-mail. (Some e-mail services may not allow you to do this, but it is a limitation of those particular services, and not of the e-mail medium itself.) Therefore, just because your e-mail address appears is no proof that your account was compromised.
Secondly, it shows you a string that it claims is the password for your e-mail, and this claim actually has a non-negligible chance of being correct. Remember those "Big Website compromised; user data leaked!" headlines you see in the news from time to time? Well, you probably had an account on one of those websites using your e-mail address and that password; the scammer obtained that information from the leaked data and is betting that you use the same password for your e-mail account. Have I Been Pwned? is a useful service that aggregates all the leaked data from known breaches so you can check whether your e-mail or password appears in any of them.
Finally, you can search for the given bitcoin address on a bitcoin lookup service such as this one; it has almost certainly been reported as a scam already (and you can see from the address's activity that these scams do work).
answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
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add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
Yes, it is a scam. There are two clever things that it does to make itself appear real (at least, more real than most scams), but those can be relatively easily debunked.
Firstly, it uses your own e-mail address as the "From" address. However, just like you can write any address on the back of an envelope before slipping it in the box and no one is going to check whether it is really your address, you can in principle write any address in the "From" header of an e-mail. (Some e-mail services may not allow you to do this, but it is a limitation of those particular services, and not of the e-mail medium itself.) Therefore, just because your e-mail address appears is no proof that your account was compromised.
Secondly, it shows you a string that it claims is the password for your e-mail, and this claim actually has a non-negligible chance of being correct. Remember those "Big Website compromised; user data leaked!" headlines you see in the news from time to time? Well, you probably had an account on one of those websites using your e-mail address and that password; the scammer obtained that information from the leaked data and is betting that you use the same password for your e-mail account. Have I Been Pwned? is a useful service that aggregates all the leaked data from known breaches so you can check whether your e-mail or password appears in any of them.
Finally, you can search for the given bitcoin address on a bitcoin lookup service such as this one; it has almost certainly been reported as a scam already (and you can see from the address's activity that these scams do work).
answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
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add a comment |Â
up vote
6
down vote
up vote
6
down vote
Yes, it is a scam. There are two clever things that it does to make itself appear real (at least, more real than most scams), but those can be relatively easily debunked.
Firstly, it uses your own e-mail address as the "From" address. However, just like you can write any address on the back of an envelope before slipping it in the box and no one is going to check whether it is really your address, you can in principle write any address in the "From" header of an e-mail. (Some e-mail services may not allow you to do this, but it is a limitation of those particular services, and not of the e-mail medium itself.) Therefore, just because your e-mail address appears is no proof that your account was compromised.
Secondly, it shows you a string that it claims is the password for your e-mail, and this claim actually has a non-negligible chance of being correct. Remember those "Big Website compromised; user data leaked!" headlines you see in the news from time to time? Well, you probably had an account on one of those websites using your e-mail address and that password; the scammer obtained that information from the leaked data and is betting that you use the same password for your e-mail account. Have I Been Pwned? is a useful service that aggregates all the leaked data from known breaches so you can check whether your e-mail or password appears in any of them.
Finally, you can search for the given bitcoin address on a bitcoin lookup service such as this one; it has almost certainly been reported as a scam already (and you can see from the address's activity that these scams do work).
answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
New contributor
fkraiem is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Yes, it is a scam. There are two clever things that it does to make itself appear real (at least, more real than most scams), but those can be relatively easily debunked.
Firstly, it uses your own e-mail address as the "From" address. However, just like you can write any address on the back of an envelope before slipping it in the box and no one is going to check whether it is really your address, you can in principle write any address in the "From" header of an e-mail. (Some e-mail services may not allow you to do this, but it is a limitation of those particular services, and not of the e-mail medium itself.) Therefore, just because your e-mail address appears is no proof that your account was compromised.
Secondly, it shows you a string that it claims is the password for your e-mail, and this claim actually has a non-negligible chance of being correct. Remember those "Big Website compromised; user data leaked!" headlines you see in the news from time to time? Well, you probably had an account on one of those websites using your e-mail address and that password; the scammer obtained that information from the leaked data and is betting that you use the same password for your e-mail account. Have I Been Pwned? is a useful service that aggregates all the leaked data from known breaches so you can check whether your e-mail or password appears in any of them.
Finally, you can search for the given bitcoin address on a bitcoin lookup service such as this one; it has almost certainly been reported as a scam already (and you can see from the address's activity that these scams do work).
answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
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answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
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answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
answered 22 hours ago
fkraiem
1613
1613
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New contributor
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add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
There are only 2 things you need to do.
1. Change your password.
Most of the email addresses that are receiving these, are from leaked databases that may have contained your actual password. They are mass mailing and mail merging people from this database, looking for money, or even a response. Chances are high that they indeed DO have the correct password, it's why they include it in the email.
2. Do NOT respond. Delete the email.
Any response at all, singles you out from the literal millions of people in the same situation, is going to single you out from background noise. Whether you are saying "Get lost, that's not my password" or "Please don't hack me, here is $$$" or "Come at me, I have nothing important" You have still engaged them, told them it's a live email address, and that you are prone to reading and responding. This increases value in your email address and you will either be sold on as a 'lead' to someone else, or actively exploited by the spammer.
Never Ever consider paying them
If you pay them, they realize they had leverage, why would they stop when they just got a positive hit and payment? They will use this to pivot, blackmailing you further, actually hacking your accounts, grabbing nudes and distributing them on facebook etc, unless you pay them a monthly fee, or help them launder money, send parcels in the mail etc.
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
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add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
There are only 2 things you need to do.
1. Change your password.
Most of the email addresses that are receiving these, are from leaked databases that may have contained your actual password. They are mass mailing and mail merging people from this database, looking for money, or even a response. Chances are high that they indeed DO have the correct password, it's why they include it in the email.
2. Do NOT respond. Delete the email.
Any response at all, singles you out from the literal millions of people in the same situation, is going to single you out from background noise. Whether you are saying "Get lost, that's not my password" or "Please don't hack me, here is $$$" or "Come at me, I have nothing important" You have still engaged them, told them it's a live email address, and that you are prone to reading and responding. This increases value in your email address and you will either be sold on as a 'lead' to someone else, or actively exploited by the spammer.
Never Ever consider paying them
If you pay them, they realize they had leverage, why would they stop when they just got a positive hit and payment? They will use this to pivot, blackmailing you further, actually hacking your accounts, grabbing nudes and distributing them on facebook etc, unless you pay them a monthly fee, or help them launder money, send parcels in the mail etc.
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
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add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
There are only 2 things you need to do.
1. Change your password.
Most of the email addresses that are receiving these, are from leaked databases that may have contained your actual password. They are mass mailing and mail merging people from this database, looking for money, or even a response. Chances are high that they indeed DO have the correct password, it's why they include it in the email.
2. Do NOT respond. Delete the email.
Any response at all, singles you out from the literal millions of people in the same situation, is going to single you out from background noise. Whether you are saying "Get lost, that's not my password" or "Please don't hack me, here is $$$" or "Come at me, I have nothing important" You have still engaged them, told them it's a live email address, and that you are prone to reading and responding. This increases value in your email address and you will either be sold on as a 'lead' to someone else, or actively exploited by the spammer.
Never Ever consider paying them
If you pay them, they realize they had leverage, why would they stop when they just got a positive hit and payment? They will use this to pivot, blackmailing you further, actually hacking your accounts, grabbing nudes and distributing them on facebook etc, unless you pay them a monthly fee, or help them launder money, send parcels in the mail etc.
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
New contributor
Ryan The Leach is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
There are only 2 things you need to do.
1. Change your password.
Most of the email addresses that are receiving these, are from leaked databases that may have contained your actual password. They are mass mailing and mail merging people from this database, looking for money, or even a response. Chances are high that they indeed DO have the correct password, it's why they include it in the email.
2. Do NOT respond. Delete the email.
Any response at all, singles you out from the literal millions of people in the same situation, is going to single you out from background noise. Whether you are saying "Get lost, that's not my password" or "Please don't hack me, here is $$$" or "Come at me, I have nothing important" You have still engaged them, told them it's a live email address, and that you are prone to reading and responding. This increases value in your email address and you will either be sold on as a 'lead' to someone else, or actively exploited by the spammer.
Never Ever consider paying them
If you pay them, they realize they had leverage, why would they stop when they just got a positive hit and payment? They will use this to pivot, blackmailing you further, actually hacking your accounts, grabbing nudes and distributing them on facebook etc, unless you pay them a monthly fee, or help them launder money, send parcels in the mail etc.
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
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edited 2 hours ago
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
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answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
answered 8 hours ago
Ryan The Leach
1214
1214
New contributor
Ryan The Leach is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
Ryan The Leach is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
I received the same email a few days ago and it's a load of rubbish. Just delete it and don't respond and don't click on the link.
answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
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1
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
I received the same email a few days ago and it's a load of rubbish. Just delete it and don't respond and don't click on the link.
answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
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1
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
I received the same email a few days ago and it's a load of rubbish. Just delete it and don't respond and don't click on the link.
answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
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I received the same email a few days ago and it's a load of rubbish. Just delete it and don't respond and don't click on the link.
answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
New contributor
Bobbie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
New contributor
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answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
answered 16 hours ago
Bobbie
1
1
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Bobbie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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New contributor
Bobbie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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Bobbie is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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1
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
1
1
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
Hello Bobbie, welcome to the stack. Just an FYI, your answer would be better if it explained why the OP should consider the email as rubbish, see the answers posted above for examples.
– Lamar Latrell
10 hours ago
add a comment |Â
sam utting is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
sam utting is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
sam utting is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
sam utting is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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Is this computer running macOS? In any case, it is possible that your computer is affected by ransomware, but just knowing your email credentials does not necessarily provide the hacker with access to your files, much less your computer camera. If, however, you have installed unknown or suspicious software coming through your email via attachment or link, you could have been compromised.
– Jaime Santa Cruz
yesterday
2
Clearly they hacked your password from somewhere, most likely a forum. This illustrates why you must use strong, unique passwords for everything. That said, it's a scam. All they did was get emails and passwords, the password is probably not for the email account (unless you are particularly bad as assigning passwords). They didn't touch your computer, they don't have links of the porn sites you go to. You can't even email them back, thats how fake it is.
– l008com
22 hours ago
12
It is worth noting that receiving an e-mail does not mean your e-mail has been hacked or compromised. Your e-mail address is likely public or guessable. These e-mails are sent blindly to thousands of possible e-mail addresses. Do not worry. We get e-mails like this every few days to our public company address; we ignore them all.
– Graham Miln
20 hours ago
1
Related
– Tom K.
18 hours ago
1
Are they asking you to take any actions to "secure" your account? (If they are, don't take any of them). Are there links in the email? (if there are, don't click any of them). The actions they're trying to get you to take can speak volumes towards what they're doing.
– Lord Farquaad
15 hours ago