An old scam with a new and shocking twist has been making the rounds over the last few months. The scam comes as an email from an anonymous person who claims they have access to your computer and webcam and have been recording all the dirty things you have (allegedly) been doing. Certain versions of the message will get quite explicit. The sender says they will release proof of these deeds to everyone on your contact list if you don’t pay them a certain amount in Bitcoin. And as “proof” that they have access to your computer, the email will include a password of yours – and it is correct! Usually it is an old password, but it’s enough to scare you and make you think twice about the letter. Please hear me: they do not have access to your computer! Do not reply or pay any Bitcoin! The scammer is simply using a breached database of known, but often old, emails and passwords to attempt to legitimize their extortion demand. (As a side note, this is one reason why you should not reuse passwords.) The latest twist on this scam correlates your information with public address records to include your home address and even a picture of your home – scary! Except instead of driving by your home as they claim, the scammer has simply used code to take an image from Google Street View. It certainly can be jarring to receive an email like this, but it is entirely a scam and you should just delete the email without responding.
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