Hacker Who Cracked Your Email And Device Email Scam

What is "Hacker who cracked your email and device Email Scam"?

Like many other spam email campaigns of this type, "Hacker who cracked your email and device Email Scam" is designed to blackmail people. Cyber criminals send emails stating that your computer has been infected, hacked etc. In this case, they claim that they have installed a remote access tool and taken a humiliating photo of the victim.

If the ransom demands are not met, they state that they will distribute this photo by sending it to all of the victim's contacts. If you have received this email (or similar), do not worry - it is just a scam used to trick people into paying for photos/videos or other media that does not exist.

Cyber criminals send this email to thousands of people and claim that they have embarrassing photos of the recipients. They also claim that they have cracked an email account and device, and that they now have own an email account password.

Furthermore, they state that they have placed some malicious code within the operating system that has recorded contacts and internet browsing history, and has also installed a Trojan. These cyber criminals claim that they know about a 'shocking website' (probably, pornography) that the user has supposedly visited.

They go on to state that they have taken a photo of the victim whilst viewing that particular website. According to the email, they acquired this photo using remote access control program and the user's webcam. To prevent this photo from being sent to friends, colleagues, and so on, victims are encouraged to pay a ransom of $892 in Bitcoins.

They warn that users have 48 hours to pay the ransom, otherwise they will distribute the photo and block the device. As mentioned in the introduction, this is merely a scam and these claims are false. These people do not have a compromising photo of you and have not hacked your computer, or installed malware. You and your system are safe. Simply ignore these emails.

Threat Summary:

Name	Hacker Who Cracked Your Email And Device Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
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.

Many scammers (cyber criminals) use spam campaigns to threaten people and make ransom demands. Some examples of other similar campaigns are Remote Control Desktop With A Key Logger and We Have Installed One RAT Software.

Some spam email campaigns do not make ransom demands, but trick users into opening malicious attachments (invoices, fake bills, and so on). These attachments often are Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, or other files). If you receive such an email, do not open the attached document.

Once opened, these attachments download and install high-risk viruses, such as TrickBot, Adwind, FormBook, or others. They often cause problems relating to privacy and browsing safety. They sometimes record sensitive data, such banking details, passwords, logins, and so on.

Some of these viruses might open "backdoors" causing even more infections, such as ransomware-type viruses. Infection with these viruses can lead to privacy issues, data loss, or even financial loss.

We receive a great deal of feedback from concerned users regarding this scam email. Here is the most popular question that we receive:

Q: Hi pcrisk.com team, I received an email stating that my computer was hacked and they have a video of me. Now they are asking for a ransom in Bitcoins. I think this must be true because they listed my real name and password in the email. What should I do?

A: Do not worry about this email. Neither hackers nor cyber criminals have infiltrated/hacked your computer and there is no video of you watching pornography. Simply ignore the message and do not send any Bitcoins. Your email, name, and password was probably stolen from a compromised website such as  Yahoo (these website breaches are common). If you are concerned, you can check if your accounts have been compromised by visiting the haveibeenpwned website.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Many spam email campaigns proliferate malicious attachments, which are usually .doc, .ppt, .xls, and other Microsoft Office suite documents. Once these attachments are opened, they ask users to enable macro commands. Enabling these commands will execute scripts that download and install malware.

Note, however, that these attachments are only capable of proliferating infections if the files are opened using Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Power Point, and so on. If the attachments are opened using applications other than MS Office, the malicious files will not be downloaded or installed. These spam campaigns usually target Windows users, and thus other platforms are safe.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Be careful when you download, install, and update software, and when you open email attachments. If you receive an email from an unknown sender that contains an irrelevant attachment, do not open it. Study each email received and open attachments only when you are sure that they are safe. Many rogue applications are  distributed using fake updaters.

These tools should be not used. You are advised to use implemented functions or tools provided by the official developer only. Furthermore, these rogue apps are often distributed using a deceptive marketing method called "bundling", which is used to install deceptive (untrustworthy, potentially unwanted) applications with regular software.

These apps are hidden in "Custom", "Advanced", and other similar options or settings. Do not use third party software downloaders (or other such tools), since these are regularly monetized by promoting rogue applications using the same "bundling" method.

Microsoft Office products with versions later than 2010 have a "Protected View" mode, which prevents downloaded files (such as attachments) from downloading malware.

Earlier versions do not have this mode, and thus you should avoid them. Finally, have a reputable anti-virus or/and anti-spyware software installed and enabled at all times. If you have already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "Hacker who cracked your email and device Email Scam" email message:

Subject: password (user's password) for (user's email) is compromised
Hello!
I'm a hacker who cracked your email and device a few months ago.
You entered a password on one of the sites you visited, and I intercepted it.
This is your password from [user's email] on moment of hack: [user's password]
Of course you can will change it, or already changed it.
But it doesn't matter, my malware updated it every time.
Do not try to contact me or find me, it is impossible, since I sent you an email from your account.
Through your email, I uploaded malicious code to your Operation System.
I saved all of your contacts with friends, colleagues, relatives and a complete history of visits to the Internet resources.
Also I installed a Trojan on your device and long tome spying for you.
You are not my only victim, I usually lock computers and ask for a ransom.
But I was struck by the sites of intimate content that you often visit.
I am in shock of your fantasies! I've never seen anything like this!
So, when you had fun on piquant sites (you know what I mean!)
I made screenshot with using my program from your camera of yours device.
After that, I combined them to the content of the currently viewed site.
There will be laughter when I send these photos to your contacts!
BUT I'm sure you don't want it.
Therefore, I expect payment from you for my silence.
I think $892 is an acceptable price for it!
Pay with Bitcoin.
My BTC wallet: 1JTtwbvmM7ymByxPYCByVYCwasjH49J3Vj, 1BzdZ9uoPpAP48wNk3ceijz6eMVLDcvJQi, 1DVU5Q2HQ4srFNSSaWBrVNMtL4pvBkfP5w, 14JLSAk9TKR6hVFswC6oRPoeAcydSecLFX, 1LqtqmaeXHT1fhtUfjJ5tyUXJ3Vfkm2KDd, 18ADezP8vFRVLM74GXtTbwuAKEJG1pCM1F, 17WdpggNyw35v4iQxf69gGu2ArzHFvBTXA, 1DufmCAkNxya6jDopRKrh5bMHqarTmdEkj, 1NhLkcK6G3WrT2HVAMvck8ddDajDxtB2B6, 19kh7yKymyqjXgk7Fys5BmMifZ4tQJ2qgB, 1Jd7QFxkCJa3zxf1zvkAoTneCvFoQn6hfQ, 1HZiF7eaPYALcmjoRaA14DDoMfEMt2vfdx, 1KaRJEP6TxLnB11bVMYq8VCaSbwDxxN5UH, 1KvfFFdrTPLT7Pxqe8afSB1ebBJ9SVxwDF
If you do not know how to do this - enter into Google "how to transfer money to a bitcoin wallet". It is not difficult.
After receiving the specified amount, all your data will be immediately destroyed automatically. My virus will also remove itself from your operating system.
My Trojan have auto alert, after this email is read, I will be know it!
I give you 2 days (48 hours) to make a payment.
If this does not happen - all your contacts will get crazy shots from your dark secret life!
And so that you do not obstruct, your device will be blocked (also after 48 hours)
Do not be silly!
Police or friends won't help you for sure ...
p.s. I can give you advice for the future. Do not enter your passwords on unsafe sites.
I hope for your prudence.
Farewell.

Second variant of "Hacker who cracked your email and device Email Scam" letter:

Text presented within this email:

Subject: This account has been hacked! Change your password right now!

 

You may not know me and you are probably wondering why you are getting this e mail, right?
I'm a hacker who cracked your devices a few months ago.
I sent you an email from YOUR hacked account.
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 Control) having a keylogger which gave me accessibility to your screen and web cam.
after that, my software program obtained all of your contacts and files.
You entered a passwords on the websites you visited, and I intercepted it.
Of course you can will change it, or already changed it.
But it doesn't matter, my malware updated it every time.
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.
Do not try to find and destroy my virus! (All your data is already uploaded to a remote server)
ñ Do not try to contact with me
ñ Various security services will not help you; formatting a disk or destroying a device will not help either, since your data is already on a remote server.
I guarantee you that I will not disturb you again after payment, as you are not my single victim. This is a hacker code of honor.
Donít be mad at me, everyone has their own work.
exactly what should you do?
Well, in my opinion, $1000 (USD) 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).
My Bitcoin wallet Address:
1AyRZviUxoBaCU1pJM5m7C1V2LdhPYiRcB, 19Lz7dV8spmf7TVxvxDPPqEy5yAzZSUrdW, 171ho8fzPMCwS2gPADGfLA7Hi2PA7hMRPR, 14F5vwcYFiVf2UeHzUxafvUMUjPkG1tWPw, 1Ne6TvghEwFsYjsespzNbfdsK2ThZNx6ey, 1pS26JuxhqPqXkCb6GTTXySdt1LfLt86x, 16Tuj17tKTEc7fxLVBBDdKbiVQcPhGnmPf, 17oYt4uLmK7HJyFSm23Ts5pKMFqZ9WsAQS, 1Dtx6nRtE1BYVNmmrz4CHF3N37H2Fzezmb, 1A8ZigYnhkTVLwB2TE9ozbUE1ZhA6VMH3p, 1LzaWYgo4QGEKbCCLP8uanxdn47K3NnXw6, 1N3rvZCMcAYzBv5JsrFmogwXbUoX97VNZ3, 1Pt23DXKcr2SXcHPAWS4QXuNMZzJDQ9nQb
(It is cAsE sensitive, so copy and paste it)
Important:
You have 48 hour in order to make the payment. (I've a facebook pixel in this mail, and at this moment I know that you have read through this email message).
To track the reading of a message and the actions in it, I use the facebook pixel.
Thanks to them. (Everything that is used for the authorities can help us.)
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.

Third variant of "Hacker who cracked your email and device" spam email:

Text presented within this email:

Subject: info : *******

******* is one of your pass. Lets get directly to point. No-one has compensated me to investigate about you. You don't know me and you are most likely wondering why you are getting this mail?
actually, i setup a malware on the adult streaming (sex sites) site and you know what, you visited this web site to experience fun (you know what i mean). When you were viewing videos, your browser started out working as a RDP that has a keylogger which provided me accessibility to your display and also webcam. Just after that, my software program obtained your complete contacts from your Messenger, FB, and emailaccount. Next i made a double video. 1st part displays the video you were watching (you've got a nice taste hahah), and second part displays the recording of your web cam, & its u.
You get 2 options. Shall we look at each one of these solutions in details:
Very first solution is to dismiss this email message. in this instance, i most certainly will send your actual video recording to each of your your personal contacts and thus just consider about the shame you feel. Not to forget if you are in a romance, exactly how it will eventually affect?
Second choice is to pay me $989. We will think of it as a donation. in this situation, i will immediately eliminate your video. You can continue on with your daily life like this never happened and you never will hear back again from me.
You will make the payment via Bitcoin (if you don't know this, search 'how to buy bitcoin' in Google).
BTC address: 1AVSEj7UKjadhWCjcPcC1mbS5VVv89Hvgb, 1Uva3DxJ8F5E6UQHPpsNoWMNCqFCrkBoC, 19HEBQLMbPMS5sq8pjr9xRwXHdTMbzTDS5, 1KjosMp7cWLAgvBxQTn9dm8dv7mgfAwbqE, 1GBDFRz9UnafBzz76G7ESYXVtWF4S2D8vB, 18cFCmESfC6PKn8LL6HPbtK2EWLLdsryXp, 1PTTcYCSmThKaqRKxxxsgmEcPWTFiyevBF, 1AkWAPUBwTWenUJFeETKGwKkaGAs2ijC2w
[CaSe sensitive copy and paste it]
if you may be curious about going to the law, look, this e mail cannot be traced back to me. I have dealt with my steps. i am also not looking to charge you very much, i just want to be rewarded. in order to%} make the paymen if i don't get the bitcoin, i will, no doubt send out your video recording to all of your contacts including close relatives, co-workers, and so on. However, if i receive the payment, i will destroy the video right away. If you want to have proof, reply with Yup then i will send your video recording to your 5 contacts. This is a non:negotiable offer, and so please don't waste my personal time & yours by responding to this message.

Another variant of "Hacker who cracked your email and device" spam email. In order to bypass spam filters cyber criminals started adding several spaces between each word. The Bitcoin wallet address they provide this time is "12xk9Y83nFJZm1fFFC2vswKz3WQV1QR2w7":

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Quick menu:

• What is Hacker Who Cracked Your Email And Device 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.

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