New Sextortion Scam Tricks Victims into Thinking They Have Been Recorded on their Internet Connected Cameras
Most of us will know about Internet connected cameras such as Google’s Nest and the Amazon Ring. Well it seems that sextortionists have cottoned on too and are targeting men with a new version of an old trick.
Old dog – new tricks
This is a new version of an old scam where the scammer will try to convince the victim that they have illicitly recorded pics or information about their sexual activity that they will release unless the victim pays a ransom.
Spike in scam emails
Researchers at Mimecast, an international company specializing in cloud-based email management for Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft Office 365, say that there has been a huge spike in the new tactic, and recorded and intercepted over 1,600 emails over just a two-day period (Jan 1st and 2nd) this year.
The sting
The way in which the new scam differs from the old is that initially am email will arrive saying that some nude photos of the victim exist. They will go on to convince the victim that they have been recorded over a long time with a smartphone or similar. The threat will be that the videos will be uploaded to porn sites and the links sent to contacts and family.
Non existent
The photos or videos are non-existent but the person being targeted is convinced that the threats are true and in a panic does as the sextortionists ask and pay money, usually in Bitcoins.
At ABCIPI, one thing we do know is that if the victim does pay, the demands will increase. With our experience in this field, ABCIPI suggest for every crime of this type that has been reported, probably 10 times that number go unreported with many men too embarrassed to speak up.
We have extensive experience of investigation in this field and ABCIPI advanced cyber detection techniques have led to many successful convictions and helped many desperate people recover from this and other sextortion attacks.
If you have been a victim of this kind of scam, WE CAN HELP. Contact us now on: wilsonslondon@outlook.com