Do not trust the "I have e-mailed you from your account" scam email

What is the "I have e-mailed you from your account Email Scam"?

"I have e-mailed you from your account Email Scam" is a sextortion spam campaign. This term defines a mass-scale operation during which thousands of deceptive emails are sent. These letters falsely claim about there being a compromising video featuring the recipient, which will be leaked - unless the ransom demands are met.

It must be emphasized that none of the information provided by these emails is true. Therefore, no such recordings exist, and neither recipients' devices nor their privacy have been compromised.

"I have e-mailed you from your account" email in detail

The "I have e-mailed you from your account" scam emails (subject/title "payment in two days"; may vary) claim to have sent these letters via recipients' own mail accounts. This fake statement supposedly means that the sender has access to the users' devices.

These deceptive emails then state that the systems were infected with malware originating from an adult-themed website that the recipients have visited. The scammers claim to have recorded a video via the devices' cameras with the aid of the nonexistent malware infection.

The recording was allegedly made while the recipients were visiting pornography sites. The "video" contains a recording of the user on one side and the content they were watching - on the other. Additionally, the scam emails state that the recipients' email and social networking platform contact lists were obtained.

The scammers threaten to send the fake video to these contacts - unless users transfer 250 USD worth of Bitcoin cryptocurrency to the listed cryptowallet address. The ransom must be paid within 48 hours, starting from the moment the "I have e-mailed you from your account" letter was opened.

Recipients are warned that sharing the emails - will result in the recording being sent to the extracted contacts. As mentioned in the introduction, all of the claims made by these letters are false. Therefore, by trusting them - users will only suffer a financial loss and potentially experience repeated scam attempts.

Threat Summary:

Name	I have e-mailed you from your account Email Scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Scam emails claim that an explicit video featuring the recipient will be leaked unless a ransom is paid.
Ransom Amount	250 USD in Bitcoin cryptocurrency
Cyber Criminal Cryptowallet Address	3Ej5ysFebAsWsASQqTDk8D8j5wQ5t6NQnR, bc1qkegfvzv58rllrnck6ywe4j087d5jyu4dxv5wrt, 1KZYRM7FhRBp4uS2ucMtJeFTeZXYsvhVfy, 1KRBGGiiVLq5zNkBtp5LYnKWtD3tSKdMSJ, 1KD14nfrgjNCd5RYyb7wGKWsHxYG1cn3zK, bc1qvqvq8huky72fv63uz7yvt46s0t07ulm8xpjvt9, bc1q0tj9nn8vjz996vw5ywd0mwc240n8zefuejax52, 1G4KfrBD8HDJncWV3ghvKReY1rGYEZZLzw, bc1qj4j309csk0nty2fqhl6wactqylfu0p6cnf2dfl, bc1qkccuh9pmxqcm3v7wwp6jpeatutza8ltas937f8, 14VQEwhVgrPdngfWrrMvMBaK8bXDS1vnmr, 1FbN9mgTzppSUGRgBs1o7N8FpPQVfoRrKd, 16trAbrqfAkfpN2zoJ2gQQdsYebkspgHpQ, 1D8qdtNLNbvugZyMYUyhzcGiCdFinxHgtH, 1Q7oKyU8HWEZk2RhP9AapqdnuCy9p3TUAq, bc1q4mzqlwvzknqy9wncdz8fz27xlq85lee9rtf4a3, 17wkbqoaUCUUxw3N1QocutFJTH47Zb8jPQ, 19hk5wJPDCSV6KexJPbgz28TdECKLnXgFt, bc1qvgrej9pw23qvdzszd0yf3xe27sv4yw22c0sfq9, 15WXLWo8mH79dJiUiHJ7UMgrpXD33ky9XU, 3JQK5j7xqH6R622wn2y3urUxyApN8tTQ37, 38yxAuk7FySbhm3UXTTp69G9SYSZjr8EAW, 0x5f2c3868d8882e0a6b89ab3621e3152bbc724420, 16uhEgNpYKdLGaHMFTHYMjWEMK1E1HRKU2, LSsNNMc2SQm9gXrruCnBLuv9XvR2tRwWkc
Symptoms	Unauthorized online purchases, changed online account passwords, identity theft, illegal access of the 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.

Spam campaigns in general

"Your device was compromised", "Your cloud storage was compromised", "I monitored your device on the net for a long time", "I have got two not really pleasant news for you", and "Within 96 hours I'll ruin your prestige" are some examples of sextortion spam campaigns.

The emails use a wide variety of scam models. Deceptive letters are typically presented as "urgent", "important", "priority", and similar; they may even be disguised as mail from legitimate companies, organizations, institutions, authorities, service providers, and other entities.

Aside from phishing and other scams, these emails are also used to proliferate malware (e.g., trojans, ransomware, cryptocurrency miners, etc.). Due to how widespread spam mail is, it is advised to exercise caution with incoming emails and messages.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Malware is distributed via spam campaigns via infectious files sent through them. These files can be attached to the emails, or the letters can contain download links of such content. Virulent files can be in various formats, e.g., Microsoft Office and PDF documents, archives, executables, JavaScript, and so on.

When the files are opened - malware download/installation is initiated. For example, Microsoft Office documents cause infections by executing malicious macro commands. This process begins the moment a document is opened in Microsoft Office versions released before 2010. Newer versions have "Protected View" mode that prevents automatic execution of macros. Instead, users can manually enable editing/content (i.e., macro commands).

How to avoid installation of malware?

To avoid infecting the device via spam mail, it is expressly advised against opening suspicious and irrelevant emails - especially any attachments or links present in them. It is recommended to use Microsoft Office versions released after 2010.

Malware is also spread through dubious download sources (e.g., unofficial and freeware sites, Peer-to-Peer sharing networks, etc.), illegal activation tools ("cracks"), and fake updates. Therefore, it is important to download from official/verified channels and activate/update programs with tools provided by genuine developers.

To ensure device and user safety, it is paramount to have a dependable anti-virus installed and kept updated. This software has to be used to run regular system scans and to remove detected threats. If you've already opened malicious attachments, we recommend running a scan with Combo Cleaner Antivirus for Windows to automatically eliminate infiltrated malware.

Text presented in the "I have e-mailed you from your account" scam email letter:

Subject: payment in two days

Hello!
Have you recently noticed that I have e-mailed you from your account?
Yes, this simply means that I have total access to your device.

 

For the last couple of months, I have been watching you.
Still wondering how is that possible? Well, you have been infected with malware originating from an adult website that you visited. You may not be familiar with this, but I will try explaining it to you.

 

With help of the Trojan Virus, I have complete access to a PC or any other device.
This simply means I can see you at any time I wish to on your screen by simply turning on your camera and microphone, without you even noticing it. In addition, I have also got access to your contacts list and all your correspondence.

 

You may be asking yourself, "But my PC has an active antivirus, how is this even possible? Why didn't I receive any notification?" Well, the answer is simple: my malware uses drivers, where I update the signatures every four hours, making it undetectable, and hence keeping your antivirus silent.

 

I have a video of you wanking on the left screen, and on the right screen - the video you were watching while masturbating.
Wondering how bad could this get? With just a single click of my mouse, this video can be sent to all your social networks, and e-mail contacts.
I can also share access to all your e-mail correspondence and messengers that you use.

 

All you have to do to prevent this from happening is - transfer bitcoins worth $250 (USD) to my Bitcoin address (if you have no idea how to do this, you can open your browser and simply search: "Buy Bitcoin").

 

My bitcoin address (BTC Wallet) is:  1G4KfrBD8HDJncWV3ghvKReY1rGYEZZLzw, 1KD14nfrgjNCd5RYyb7wGKWsHxYG1cn3zK, 1AbhXaiFxR52NDTrjAtzsdyhooVNoVchy1, 1KZYRM7FhRBp4uS2ucMtJeFTeZXYsvhVfy, bc1qvqvq8huky72fv63uz7yvt46s0t07ulm8xpjvt9, bc1qj4j309csk0nty2fqhl6wactqylfu0p6cnf2dfl, bc1q0tj9nn8vjz996vw5ywd0mwc240n8zefuejax52, bc1qkegfvzv58rllrnck6ywe4j087d5jyu4dxv5wrt, bc1qkccuh9pmxqcm3v7wwp6jpeatutza8ltas937f8, 1FbN9mgTzppSUGRgBs1o7N8FpPQVfoRrKd, 1D8qdtNLNbvugZyMYUyhzcGiCdFinxHgtH, 3847sB8zkwNocm2ff2bzjdrGKYrE9cKGXi, 1Q7oKyU8HWEZk2RhP9AapqdnuCy9p3TUAq, bc1q4mzqlwvzknqy9wncdz8fz27xlq85lee9rtf4a3, bc1qyhfyfjfjurgv53k7r0zdgjwymn56u7vyltt5ul

 

ETHERUM [ETH]: 0x8Dea738aAf1b9E5aD4bDE776a8310DD55982F896

 

After receiving a confirmation of your payment, I will delete the video right away, and that's it, you will never hear from me again.
You have 2 days (48 hours) to complete this transaction.
Once you open this e-mail, I will receive a notification, and my timer will start ticking.

 

Any attempt to file a complaint will not result in anything, since this e-mail cannot be traced back, same as my bitcoin id.
I have been working on this for a very long time by now; I do not give any chance for a mistake.

 

If, by any chance I find out that you have shared this message with anybody else, I will broadcast your video as mentioned above.

Appearance of the "I have e-mailed you from your account" email (GIF):

Another example of a similar spam email:

Text presented within:

Subject: Settle your debt in order to avoid additional fees.

Hi there!
Have you seen lately that an email sent by me to you from your own account?
Yeah, that merely concludes that I have gained a complete access to a device of yours.

For the past several months, you were under my close observation.
Still surprised how could that happen? The thing is, your device was infected by a malware from one of adult websites that you lately accessed.
It may seem complicated to you, nevertheless let me try to clear it out to you.

With aid of Trojan Virus, I gained full access to your PC as well as any other device in your possession.
That merely denotes that I am able to see you whenever I like just by turning on the camera and microphone in your PC, while you don't even know about that.
Moreover, I have also obtained your entire contacts list, including your entire correspondence.

Indeed, you wonder, "But my PC is equipped with a valid antivirus, so how could that be possible?
Why haven't I seen any warning?" To be frank, the reply is very straightforward: malware of mine is based on drivers,
whose signatures get updated on 4-hourly basis, causing it to become simply untraceable, and as result leaving your antivirus idle.

I got a video showing the way you are jerking off on my left screen, while on the right screen there is a video that you watched during your masturbation session.
Still unclear how bad that could become? One mouse click is enough to send that video to your entire list of social network, as well as e-mail contacts.
In addition, I can as well provide access to your entire e-mail correspondence as well as messengers that are currently in your use.

All you need to do to in order to avoid that from occurring - transfer $1450 (USD) in Bitcoin equivalent to my Bitcoin address
(if you still don't know how that could be done, just use your browser and key-in: "Buy Bitcoin").

Below is bitcoin address (BTC Wallet) of mine: 19hk5wJPDCSV6KexJPbgz28TdECKLnXgFt

Upon getting evidence of payment from your side, I will instantly proceed with removing those videos, and that is all, you won't ever hear about me anymore.
You are left with 2 days (or 48 hours) to perform that transaction.
After opening this e-mail, I will get a notice, which will automatically start my timer countdown.

Any attempts to complain to authorities won't be of any use to you, because this e-mail is simply untraceable, just like Bitcoin ID of mine.
I was working on this for quite an extended period of time; so do not even think that I can make a mistake.

In event that, I occasionally discover that you shared this message with anyone else,
I will straight away proceed with making your video public as stated earlier.

Good luck.

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Quick menu:

• What is I Have E-mailed You From Your Account 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?

Spam emails are not personal; thousands of users receive identical letters.

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

No, the claims made by the "I have e-mailed you from your account" are false. Neither was your device infected with malware nor does the sender have any compromising content featuring you. Therefore, this spam letter poses no threats and must simply be ignored.

How did cyber criminals get my email password?

The most likely reason is that you've fallen victim to a phishing scam and entered your log-in credentials into a fake website or file (potentially one disguised as an email account sign-in page, registration form, etc.). Other reasons include a data breach on your end or that of a service provider (the latter is highly unlikely).

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

Cryptocurrency transactions are practically untraceable; hence, recovering transferred funds is virtually impossible.

I have provided my personal information when tricked by a spam email, what should I do?

If you have disclosed account credentials - change the passwords of all potentially compromised accounts and inform their official support without delay. And if you've provided other private data (e.g., personally identifiable details, credit card numbers, etc.) - immediately contact the appropriate authorities.

I have read a spam email but didn't open the attachment, is my computer infected?

No, merely reading a spam email will not initiate any system infection processes. Devices are infected when the attachments/links found in spam mail are opened/clicked.

I have downloaded and opened a file attached to a spam email, is my computer infected?

Whether an infection occurred might depend on the opened file's format. If it was an executable (.exe, .run, etc.) - most likely, yes. However, document formats (.doc, .xls, .pdf, etc.) may require additional user interaction (e.g., enabling macro commands) to start downloading/installing malware.

Will Combo Cleaner remove malware infections present in email attachments?

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate practically all known malware infections. It is noteworthy that sophisticated malicious programs usually hide deep within systems - therefore, running a full system scan is crucial.

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