How to spot scams like the "Porn Blackmail" scam

What kind of scam is Porn Blackmail?

"Porn Blackmail" is a spam email campaign used to blackmail unsuspecting users. Cyber criminals falsely claim that they have infected recipients' computers with malware and encourages them to pay ransoms in exchange for a removal of a disgraceful video of the victim that they supposedly have recorded. Note that "Porn Blackmail" is a scam.

Porn Blackmail scam in detail

As mentioned above, "Porn Blackmail" states that the victim's computer has been infected with malware that tracks web browsing activity. The malware is supposedly capable of recording activity and browsing history on various adult websites and exploits the computer webcam to record the victim "masturbating".

The message also states that the user has already been filmed and that the video is stored on a remote server controlled by the developers. If the victim wishes it to be deleted, a ransom of $400 in the Bitcoin cryptocurrency must be paid. Bear in mind, however, that this spam campaign is merely an attempt to extort unsuspecting users.

In fact, cyber criminals do not harm victims' computers in any way. They simply send thousands of threatening email letters simply to scare and trick users into sending money. Therefore, ignore these emails. If you have received such emails, scan the system with a reputable anti-virus/anti-spyware suite to ensure that the system is clean.

Threat Summary:

Name	Porn Blackmail spam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
BTC Wallet Owned By Scammers	1Nia3EtmACkfdzVvjw8c3NvgcHFw1twZUS
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of one's computer.
Distribution methods	Deceptive emails, rogue online pop-up ads, search engine poisoning techniques, misspelled domains.
Damage	Loss of sensitive private information, monetary loss, identity theft.
Malware Removal (Windows)	To eliminate possible malware infections, scan your computer with legitimate antivirus software. Our security researchers recommend using Combo Cleaner. ▼ Download Combo Cleaner To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Similarities with other scams of this kind

"Porn Blackmail" shares similarities with many other spam campaigns, such as eFax, Important Documents IRS, You Have A Santander Secure, and HM Revenue & Customs Outstanding Amount. Unlike "Porn Blackmail", these campaigns do not make ransom demands, but encourage users to download and open various email attachments (e.g., invoices, bills, or similar) that are often presented as MS Office documents.

The attachments are malicious - they download and install high-risk viruses, such as TrickBot, Adwind, FormBook, etc. These viruses pose a significant threat to your privacy and Internet browsing safety - they gather sensitive data (logins/passwords, banking details, etc.), and might also open "backdoors" for other infections (mostly, ransomware).

The presence of these viruses can lead to serious privacy issues, significant financial loss, and further high-risk computer infections.

We get a lot of feedback from concerned user about this scam email. here's the most popular question that we receive:

- Hi pcrisk.com team, I got an email stating that a my computer was hacked and they got a video of me, now they are asking for a ransom in bitcoins. This must be true because they listed my real name and password in the email. What should I do?

The simple answer to this question is - don't worry, hackers haven't infiltrated your computer and they don't have a video recording of you watching pornography. Don't send any bitcoins to them.

The fact that they have your email, name and password indicated that at some point in time your data was stolen from some compromised website, for example yahoo, etc. Website breached are quite frequent. To check if you have an account that has been compromised in some data breach we recommend visiting haveibeenpwned website.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Once opened, rogue MS Office attachments ask the user to enable macro commands. Immediately after macros are enabled, attachments execute a number of commands that stealthily download and install malware.

Note, however, is that these attachments are only harmful if they are opened using MS Office apps (Word, Excel, etc.) If the file is opened using other software capable of reading the format, malware will not be downloaded. Furthermore, most of these viruses are developed to work only on the MS Windows Operating System. Therefore, users who run other platforms are safe.

How to avoid installation of malware?

To prevent this situation, be very cautious when browsing the Internet and downloading/updating/installing software. Carefully analyze each received email attachment. If the file seems irrelevant or has been received from a suspicious email address, it should not be opened.

Furthermore, be aware that rogue programs are also distributed using fake updaters, and a deceptive marketing method called "bundling" (stealth installation of deceptive apps with regular software). Therefore it is very important to keep installed software updated, however, to achieve this, use implemented functions or tools provided by the official developer only.

You are also advised to avoid using third party download/installation tools, since developers monetize them by "bundling" (promoting) rogue software. Download your programs from official sources only, via direct download links. Having a legitimate anti-virus/anti-spyware suite installed and running is also paramount.

Later MS Office versions (2010 and above) open newly-downloaded documents in "Protected View" mode. This prevents malicious attachments from downloading viruses.

Therefore, using old versions of MS Office suite is risky. The main reasons for computer infections are poor knowledge and careless behavior - the key to safety is caution. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Samples of text presented in various "Porn Blackmail" email messages:

Hi, dear user of -

We have installed one RAT software into you device.
For this moment your email account is hacked (see on , I messaged you from your account).
Your password for -: -

I have downloaded all confidential information from your system and I got some more evidence.
The most interesting moment that I have discovered are videos records where you masturbating.

I posted my virus on porn site, and then you installed it on your operation system.
When you clicked the button Play on porn video, at that moment my trojan was downloaded to your device.
After installation, your front camera shoots video every time you masturbate, in addition, the software is synchronized with the video you choose.

For the moment, the software has collected all your contact information from social networks and email addresses.
If you need to erase all of your collected data, send me $800 in BTC (crypto currency).
This is my Bitcoin wallet: 1PuYAe7BLxNE6F6zE2PeVthfXCeYH88PmQ
You have 48 hours after reading this letter.

After your transaction I will erase all your data.
Otherwise, I will send video with your pranks to all your colleagues and friends!!!

And henceforth be more careful!
Please visit only secure sites!
Bye!

 

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Subject: Malware on your device ID

Hey, While you were sitting in front of the computer browsing redtube and pulling your willy yours notebook computer caught a malicious program through your browser.
This program is intended to exploit your web cam, records all your movements and browser history of the adults Web sites you are made a visit.
But the wickedest thing about this virus is that it can activate your WebCam, access your e-mail and backup your contact files.
Mind that I also have access to your social media profiles.
So, I have pictures and videos of you, with your pants down. Vids where you are stronk.
If you don’t want your all you family, and random users to see you masturbating, I advise you do this: pay me 400 dollars.
This is my Bitcoin account 1Nia3EtmACkfdzVvjw8c3NvgcHFw1twZUS
When I ll get the that money, I ll del all the compromising photos and you will never hear from me ever again.
If you dont send the money within 23 hours since the moment you read this msg, I will send your videos to your colleagues, through your social media for everyone to see, to your co-workers, family, to your friends.
P.S. My English isn’t good because I’am not too fluent, but you get the point.
Dont answer to this letter. It isnt mine and I wont be using it anymore.

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Good Morning my friend. I represent the group of web criminals in Iran. I use this mail address because we think that you will check it. Few times ago my team put the virus on web-site with porn and as far as you clicked on a play button your system started shooting your screen and activating camera to capture you self-abusing. Eventually I mean you understand what compromising evidence Ive earned. Moreover, this software made your device act as dedicated server with plenty of functions like keylogger, parser etc. To sum up, my software picked all data, especially all your contacts from messengers, e-mails, social networks. If you wanna make me silent you must make a transaction of 260 dollars with bitcoin. 1K2auXQEKz7Ro8cRa2xr3bAPV2n6KT5vi1 You must use it as usual credit card number. If you send bitcoins nobody will see your shame. Watch youtube manuals about methods of buing BTC... I can offer you this exchanger: localbitoins.com. If you have a problem with this, you can search comfortable ATM for bitcoin at coin atm radar. I give you no more than twenty four hours since you read our message to pay. You can complain cops, but they can not find us I use bot network, and of course we live abroad. If you want us to show proofs we will share it to seven mates from your data after that you will be given their contacts. So you will ask them if something strange was received about you. For some questions just reply. Dont be fullish, AmAZinGcRackeR$.

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Do you want to make a spectacle of yourself? I will tell you what to do To leave behind that dirt you have to give $ 400 In a case if you forward I will eliminate this materials. Pay USD 400 to 1PWfPY5cf4ukpnLGyuBG26VtcQmf469T7k Bitcoin wallet failing this you should became star in the Internet.
Otherwise I would show it to all your contact information If not it going to sent to all your contact files.
All the closely related people and collaborates would see this Are you going to make a surprise to all your nearest and dearest and workmates?
Its mine Bitcoin wallet 1PWfPY5cf4ukpnLGyuBG26VtcQmf469T7k.
I can give you just 24 hours to do this.
You pay me cash and I should destroy that dirty pictures entirely and permanently.
P.S. I beg pardon for my mistakes, but I am sure you understood. I am cracker China is my native country. I have had cracked this mailing box so please and don’t give an answer to it.

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Good morning, I write you because I uploaded my virus on a web page with porn which you have visited.
When you went on that site you let the malware steal all your private information and turned on your web-camera that captured the act of your onanism. Then the soft made a copy of all your contacts.
I will delete the compromising video and info if you send me 380 USD in bitcoin.
This is bitcoin address to pay: 16x3VyC2ug3TdNKijxbMxA4F4TJMr7Jfhp
You have 28 h after reading this letter for making the payment.
There is no need to write me that you have paid. This address is given only to you, everything will be removed automatically after transfer verification.
If you need 48 h just write back +.
You can complain to the police but they will not help you.
I am foreigner. So nobody can trace me even for 7 weeks.
All the best. Dont forget about the disgrace.

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Good day! Yours notebook was injected to a time where you stronk watching adults website. Thanks to this all the needed files and contact numbers of all your closely related people are in my hands for now. Your front camera was put to work with a help of this product and filmed and makes pictures. All passwords to yours social media service accounts are in my disposal. You ought to dispatch $USD 400 to my Bitcoin number 1MYUvQq72fNzWFqj3LR4YWr4w9gURZErSP In a case if you don’t like me to dispatch all the photos and video ( when you have been tossing ) to your acquaintance and workmates. All closely related people and workmates receive black PR image if I do not receive transmission within twentyfour hours. If you going to fulfill all the conditions I should destroy all these dirty laundry. You have to know that the main thing in this life is family and it will be a good experience for the future. There was no that sort of situation in a case if you don’t make that dirty things. Be careful for the future Yours respectfully. P.S. After watching that mail you own only twentyfour hours.

 

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Good day.
If you were more scrutiny while playing with yourself, I wouldn’t write dis message. I don\’t think that playing with yourself is very awful, but when all colleagues, relatives and friends get video of it- it is unpleasant for u.
I adjusted malicious soft on a web-site for adults (with porn) which was visited by you. When the object tap on a play button, device begins recording the screen and all cameras on ur device begins working.
Moreover, soft makes a dedicated desktop supplied with keylogger function from the system , so I was able to save all contacts from ur e-mail, messengers and other social networks. I’ve chosen dis e-mail because It\’s your working address, so you must read it.
I think that 350 usd is pretty enough for this little misstep. I made a split screen vid(records from screen (u have interesting tastes ) and camera ohh… its funny AF)
So its your choice, if u want me to erase ur disgrace use my bitсоin wаllet adress: 1CvwXG7AMgunAHqU8UVvAQkpEAS3VsVtnU
You have one day after opening my message, I put the special tracking pixel in it, so when you will open it I will see.If ya want me to show u the proofs, reply on this letter and I will send my creation to five contacts that I’ve got from ur contacts.
P.S. You are able to complain to police, but I don’t think that they can solve ur problem, the investigation will last for one year- I’m from Ukraine – so I dgf lmao

 

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It seems that, -, is your password. You may not know me and you are probably wondering why you are getting this e mail, right?
actually, I setup a malware on the adult vids (porno) web-site and guess what, you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were watching videos, your internet browser started out functioning as a RDP (Remote Desktop) having a keylogger which gave me accessibility to your screen and web cam. after that, my software program obtained all of your contacts from your Messenger, FB, as well as email.
What did I do?
I created a double-screen video. 1st part shows the video you were watching (you've got a good taste haha . . .), and 2nd part shows the recording of your web cam.
exactly what should you do?
Well, in my opinion, $2900 is a fair price for our little secret. You'll make the payment by Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search "how to buy bitcoin" in Google).
BTC Address: 1KiCTVUq5A9BPwoFC8S965tsbtqcWr8bty
(It is cAsE sensitive, so copy and paste it)
Important:
You have one day in order to make the payment. (I've a unique pixel in this e mail, and at this moment I know that you have read through this email message). If I do not get the BitCoins, I will certainly send out your video recording to all of your contacts including relatives, coworkers, and so on. Having said that, if I receive the payment, I'll destroy the video immidiately. If you need evidence, reply with "Yes!" and I will certainly send out your video recording to your 6 contacts. It is a non-negotiable offer, that being said don't waste my personal time and yours by responding to this message.

 

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It seems that. +1-702-xxx-xx60. is your phone number You may not know me and you are probably wondering why you are getting this e mail. right?
actually. I setup a malware on the adult vids (porno) web-site and guess what. you visited this site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were watching videos. your Internet browser started out functioning as a RDP (Remote Desktop) having a keylogger which gave me accessibility to your screen and web cam_ after that. my software program obtained all of your contacts from your Messenger. FB. as well as email.
What did I do?
I backuped phone. All photo. video and contacts. I created a double-screen video. 1st part shows the video you were watching (you've got a good taste haha recording of your web cam.
exactly what should you do?
. and 2nd part shows the
Well. in my opinion. S100 is a fair price for our little secret. You'll make the payment by Bitcoin (if you do not know this. search "how to buy bitcoin" in Google).
BTC Address: 19Gfc36i682Y7kZqhvkKUJKxLav9Sq6zai (It is cAsE sensitive. so copy and paste it)
Important: You have one day in order to make the payment. (I've a unique pixel in this e mail. and at this moment I know that you have read through this email message). If I do not get the BitCoins. I will certainly send out your video recording to all of your contacts including relatives. coworkers. and so on. Having said that. if I receive the payment. I'll destroy the video immidiately. If you need evidence. reply with "Yes!" and I will certainly send out your video recording to your 6 contacts. It is a non-negotiable offer. that being said don't waste my personal time and yours by responding to this message.

 

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I know [user's password] one of your password. Lets get directly to point. You may not know me and you're probably wondering why you're getting this email? Nobody has compensated me to check about you.
actually, I actually placed a software on the 18+ videos (sex sites) site and there's more, you visited this web site to have fun (you know what I mean). While you were watching videos, your internet browser initiated operating as a RDP with a key logger which provided me access to your display and also web camera. Just after that, my software program obtained all your contacts from your Messenger, Facebook, as well as e-mail . After that I created a video. First part shows the video you were watching (you have a good taste : )), and 2nd part shows the recording of your cam, yeah it is you.
You actually have two different alternatives. Let us take a look at the possibilities in particulars:
First option is to dismiss this email message. In this situation, I most certainly will send your videotape to each of your your contacts and then imagine concerning the disgrace yo u will see. Or if you are in an affair, exactly how it will eventually affect?
In the second place alternative should be to pay me $3000. We will describe it as a donation. Consequently, I most certainly will without delay eliminate your video recording. You could go on your way of life like this never happened and you will not hear back again from me.
You will make the payment by Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search "how to buy bitcoin" in Google).
BTC Address to send to: 1MzPj6xVZBHjgHY1v9Z5KqdsPLbP3Zrsx1 [CASE-SENSITIVE so copy and paste it]
In case you are planning on going to the authorities, anyway, this e mail can not be traced back to me. I have taken care of my actions. I am just not trying to demand a lot, I would like to be compensated.
You now have one day to make the payment. I've a specific pixel in this message, and now I know that you have read this message. If I don't get the BitCoins, I will definitely send out your video recording to all of your contacts including relatives, coworkers, etc. Nonetheless, if I receive the payment, I will destroy the recording immediately. If you want proof, reply Yea then I definitely will send your video recording to your 11 contacts. This is the non:negotiable offer thus don't waste my personal time & yours by responding to this e mail.

 

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Well I am going to make it as fast and short possibly can,
Few months back while visiting one of compromised web sites, your pc was infected by our Malware
and it broken into all your network devices such as your cell phone, ever since its collecting large amount of information about yourself using your pc and your smart phone , we have got your video clips , photos , call recordings , contacts , your social network connections , your e-mails , your home address and even videos of yours changing clothing , showering etc
I am sure its really distressful for you and you'll be wondering what should you do ? isn't it ?
Relax breathe deeply , dont stress and read carefully now , if you wish these audio video recordings, e-mails, computer files, Mobile data,  pictures etc plus your other secrets (you can guess it very well) to stay in between us, and do not want me to share it with your family members, best friends, colleagues, or on well known web-sites like Fb, Reddit, Xvideos, Pornhub and others , there's a simple way to avoid.
Simply pay 500$ worth of bitcoin to my bitcoin wallet address,  to my opinion its really fair and low amount to keeping your little secret. (if you do not know this, search "how to buy bitcoin" search engines like google).
Bitcoin Address: 1HZyGQXoEKptyJmrmZxttgizmJbDNAQZNV
(It is case sensitive, so copy and paste it)
Important:
You've one day to make the payment. (I have a special pixel within this e mail, and at this moment I know you have read this email message). If I do not get the BitCoins, I will certainly send out your video recording to all of your contacts including relatives, colleagues, and so forth. Having said that, if I receive the payment, I'll destroy the video immidiately. If you want evidence, reply with "Yes!" and I will definitely mail out your videos to your 6 contacts. It is a non-negotiable offer, that being said don't waste my personal time and yours by answering this message.

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▼ DOWNLOAD Combo Cleaner By downloading any software listed on this website you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. To use full-featured product, you have to purchase a license for Combo Cleaner. 7 days free trial available. Combo Cleaner is owned and operated by Rcs Lt, the parent company of PCRisk.com read more.

Quick menu:

• What is Porn Blackmail spam?
• Types of malicious emails.
• How to spot a malicious email?
• What to do if you fell for an email scam?

Types of malicious emails:

Phishing Emails

Most commonly, cybercriminals use deceptive emails to trick Internet users into giving away their sensitive private information, for example, login information for various online services, email accounts, or online banking information.

Such attacks are called phishing. In a phishing attack, cybercriminals usually send an email message with some popular service logo (for example, Microsoft, DHL, Amazon, Netflix), create urgency (wrong shipping address, expired password, etc.), and place a link which they hope their potential victims will click on.

After clicking the link presented in such email message, victims are redirected to a fake website that looks identical or extremely similar to the original one. Victims are then asked to enter their password, credit card details, or some other information that gets stolen by cybercriminals.

Emails with Malicious Attachments

Another popular attack vector is email spam with malicious attachments that infect users' computers with malware. Malicious attachments usually carry trojans that are capable of stealing passwords, banking information, and other sensitive information.

In such attacks, cybercriminals' main goal is to trick their potential victims into opening an infected email attachment. To achieve this goal, email messages usually talk about recently received invoices, faxes, or voice messages.

If a potential victim falls for the lure and opens the attachment, their computers get infected, and cybercriminals can collect a lot of sensitive information.

While it's a more complicated method to steal personal information (spam filters and antivirus programs usually detect such attempts), if successful, cybercriminals can get a much wider array of data and can collect information for a long period of time.

Sextortion Emails

This is a type of phishing. In this case, users receive an email claiming that a cybercriminal could access the webcam of the potential victim and has a video recording of one's masturbation.

To get rid of the video, victims are asked to pay a ransom (usually using Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency). Nevertheless, all of these claims are false - users who receive such emails should ignore and delete them.

How to spot a malicious email?

While cyber criminals try to make their lure emails look trustworthy, here are some things that you should look for when trying to spot a phishing email:

• Check the sender's ("from") email address: Hover your mouse over the "from" address and check if it's legitimate. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft, be sure to check if the email address is @microsoft.com and not something suspicious like @m1crosoft.com, @microsfot.com, @account-security-noreply.com, etc.
• Check for generic greetings: If the greeting in the email is "Dear user", "Dear @youremail.com", "Dear valued customer", this should raise suspiciousness. Most commonly, companies call you by your name. Lack of this information could signal a phishing attempt.
• Check the links in the email: Hover your mouse over the link presented in the email, if the link that appears seems suspicious, don't click it. For example, if you received an email from Microsoft and the link in the email shows that it will go to firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0... you shouldn't trust it. It's best not to click any links in the emails but to visit the company website that sent you the email in the first place.
• Don't blindly trust email attachments: Most commonly, legitimate companies will ask you to log in to their website and to view any documents there; if you received an email with an attachment, it's a good idea to scan it with an antivirus application. Infected email attachments are a common attack vector used by cybercriminals.

To minimise the risk of opening phishing and malicious emails we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows. 

Example of a spam email:

What to do if you fell for an email scam?

• If you clicked on a link in a phishing email and entered your password - be sure to change your password as soon as possible. Usually, cybercriminals collect stolen credentials and then sell them to other groups that use them for malicious purposes. If you change your password in a timely manner, there's a chance that criminals won't have enough time to do any damage.
• If you entered your credit card information - contact your bank as soon as possible and explain the situation. There's a good chance that you will need to cancel your compromised credit card and get a new one.
• If you see any signs of identity theft - you should immediately contact the Federal Trade Commission. This institution will collect information about your situation and create a personal recovery plan.
• If you opened a malicious attachment - your computer is probably infected, you should scan it with a reputable antivirus application. For this purpose, we recommend using Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows.
• Help other Internet users - report phishing emails to Anti-Phishing Working Group, FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, National Fraud Information Center and U.S. Department of Justice.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why did I receive this email?

This email is not personal. Scammers sent this email to all addresses (or at least more than one address) they have in their database. Usually, scammers obtain email addresses after data breaches.

Was my computer actually hacked and does the sender have any information?

No, your computer was not actually hacked/infected or compromised in any other way. Scammers only claim that they have been able to access your computer. As a rule, none of their claims are true.

I have sent cryptocurrency to the address presented in such email, can I get my money back?

Crypto transactions are irreversible. It means that retrieving the transferred funds is impossible unless cybercriminals would be willing to send them back.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections that were present in an email attachment?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove almost all known malware. Computers infected with high-end malware must be scanned using a full scan. Typically, malware of this kind hides deep in the operating system. Thus, running a quick scan is not enough to detect (and remove) it.

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