Blackmail through password theft and masturbation video

Internet users are currently receiving an increasing number of emails asking them to pay money so that a masturbation video they secretly recorded on a webcam will not be published.

As our cooperation partner Watchlist Internet reports, an old password of the person concerned is also provided in the email in order to encourage payment. Recipients of the message should change their passwords but should under no circumstances pay the money because the masturbation videos do not exist.

Criminals send mass amounts of emails to Internet users. They try to intimidate people in order to get them to pay. The emails contain the recipient's real, but often outdated, password in the subject line. An example of the messages is the following:

“Subject: Old_PasswordXY”
Old_PasswordXY is one of your password.
I won't beat around the bush. You don't know me however I now know you very well and you must be wondering why you're getting this email, correct? How did I find out?
The answer is, I actually installed malware on adult videos (pornography) & there's more, you visited this adult website to experience fun (you get my drift). When you were busy watching videos, your internet browser started operating as a RDP (Remote Control Desktop) having a key logger which provided me with access to your display and your camera started capturing. Right after that, the software collected your entire contacts from your messenger, facebook, as well as e-mail. It is simply your bad luck that I got to know about your misadventures.
After that I gave in more hours than I probably should have investigated into your personal life and generated a double display sextape. 1st part displays the recording you had been viewing and 2nd part displays the recording of your web camera (it is you doing nasty things) What can you do?
Actually, I am ready to forget all information about you and allow you to get on with your regular life.
And I am going to provide you two options which will accomplish it. Those two alternatives are either to turn a deaf ear to this message (not recommended), or simply pay me $1100. Let's examine those two options in more detail. Option 1 is to turn a blind eye to this email.
Let us see what will happen if you pick this path. I will certainly send your videotape to your entire contacts including friends and family, co-workers, and many others. It doesn't save you from the humiliation your self will feel when friends and family find out your sordid video in their inbox. Second option is to send me $1100. We'll name it my “confidentiality fee”.
Now let me tell you what will happen when you select this way out. Your secret remains your secret. I will destroy the sex tape. Once you pay, you can go on with your daily life and family like nothing ever occurred. I am hoping you will select the right option and you decide to resolve this completely and send me the fees.
You'll make the transfer via Bitcoin (if you don't know how, type “how to buy bitcoins” on google search) My BTC Address: 16NCCCCCBj9WtDVNeap94PBG4a9Tv1XXXXX
(It's case sensitive, so copy and paste it)
Notice:
You now have one day to make the payment.
(I have a specific pixel within this e-mail, and right now I know that you have read through this email). You must not tell anyone what you would be using the bitcoin for or they might not sell it to you. The process to acquire bitcoin usually takes a short time so do not procrastinate. If I don't receive the Bitcoins, I will send out your sex tape to all of your contacts including family members, co-workers, and so on. having said that, if I do get paid, I will erase the video immediately. If you want to have proof, reply with “yes!” and I will certainly send your video to your 8 friends. It is a non-negotiable offer, so kindly do not waste my personal time and yours by replying to this e-mail.=

To summarize in German: it is alleged that malware on pornography sites was able to hijack the recipient's webcam and make lewd recordings. In order to prevent the criminals from publishing the video, the victims are asked to transfer an amount of money in the form of Bitcoin to the specified account.

What's behind it?

By inventing alleged masturbation recordings, fraudsters try to get their victims to pay money in Bitcoin. By giving the recipients a password, the fraudsters present themselves as competent hackers in order to further unsettle people. However, the recordings that are being spoken about do not exist, which is why such messages can simply be moved to the spam folder. This can help ensure that similar emails end up directly in the spam folder in the future.

How do criminals know my password?

If you also received the message, you are probably wondering how the criminals could know one of your passwords. Unfortunately, through hacks of unencrypted databases, lists of passwords repeatedly find their way onto the Internet and are made freely accessible or sold there. If you use the same password in multiple places, it will be difficult to determine where the password entered the Internet from.

What can I do to protect myself?

• Move the email to your spam folder and ignore similar messages.
• Renew your password to prevent unauthorized access to personal accounts.
• Update your passwords regularly. This way you minimize the chances of suffering damage from various database hacks.
• Keep your software up to date and continually install updates. This is the most effective way to avoid security gaps that make your system or webcam vulnerable.
• Tape over your webcam when not in use.

The Internet Watchlist recommends:

Ignore emails asking you to pay for made-up masturbation videos. The video does not exist and therefore there is nothing to worry about.

Not the first time

This scam is not new, as users have been receiving similar blackmail attempts for months.

See blackmail with masturbation video!
We created a video of you!