How to spot scams like I would like to avoid any accusations against you

What is I would like to avoid any accusations against you email scam?

It is an email scam (fake sextortion email) claiming that scammers have hacked into a computer and recorded an intimate video. The purpose of this email is to trick recipients into believing that the supposedly recorded video will be sent to their contacts if they do not pay a particular sum of money.

I would like to avoid any accusations against you fake sextortion scam in detail

Scammers claim that they have infected a computer through a pornography page. The planted virus allowed them to access a web browser and webcam and record an intimate "material". Scammers demand to be paid 1000 dollars (in Bitcoins) for not sending that "material" (supposedly a video) to other people.

Threat Summary:

Name	I would like to avoid any accusations against you email scam
Threat Type	Phishing, Scam, Social Engineering, Fraud
Fake Claim	Scammers have infected a computer and recorded an intimate video
Cyber Criminal Cryptowallet Address	bc1qka2dy0kzht3fnhx37cw22agnd5ytw0y4edx2qt
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.

More about fake sextortion emails

The email subject line of a fake sextortion scam (or the email itself) can also include the password that a recipient uses (or has used in the past) for an online account (or accounts). However, it does not mean that scammers have hacked a computer (or accessed an email account).

More examples of similar scams are "Im In Possession Of All Of Your Private Data Email Scam", "I Am Sorry To Inform You But Your Device Was Hacked Email Scam", "Unfortunately, There Are Some Bad News For You Email Scam". It is important to know that email can be used as a tool to deliver malware.

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Emails used to distribute malware are harmless until recipients open malicious attachments or website links presented in them. Cybercriminals behind malicious emails attempt to trick recipients into opening malicious MS Office, PDF documents, JavaScript files, executable files, archive files (their contents), or other files.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Download files and programs from official pages and avoid using other sources (like unofficial pages, Peer-to-Per networks, third-party downloaders). Update and activate installed programs properly: achieve it using tools provided by official developers.

Do not open attachments or links in emails that are not relevant and received from unknown addresses. 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 would like to avoid any accusations against you email scam" email letter:

Subject: Your friends will love this vid of you beating your meat

Good afternoon.
I would like to avoid any accusations against you, and I don't think that
jerking off while watching a porno is really so harmful for society. BUT! If
all the members of your family and all your friends, and peers watch how you
do this, it may definitely be not so good for you.

So, what do I really want?

You spent some time on some porn web page, which is diseased with my virus.
As soon as you made a click on this page, my software has been up and
running on your system. And thereon I managed to receive a lot of materials
from your system and web browser. First of all, records from your webcam and
captured screen records (kind of curious). Secondly I've got all your
contacts from your system and browser too.
I've sent current statement on your email address to keep it private
(meanwhile).
So, what's next? I made a pretty interesting movie using materials I had
been gathering with your really active assistance. I edited this movie in
spectacular way. It simultaneously shows two halves. One half shows capture
from your cam, other shows capture of your screen. Hilarious demonstration
isn't it?
And if you would like me to erase this movie and rest of files I've got
these days, here is my bitcoin address:
bc1qka2dy0kzht3fnhx37cw22agnd5ytw0y4edx2qt
(it needs to be without spaces or =. Make sure you get it correct) If you
do not understand how to work with it, you could very easily yahoo or google
it, or discover any guidance on youtube. It's incredibly easy.
An amount of funs to settle the issue with me is 1000 dollars.
You have exactly five days after you've read this notification (I embedded
a tracking pixel on it and I already know when you opened it). So, don't
mess with me.
If you greedy enough to waste my time, you will be forfeited your honor.
Don't upset me, make this transaction. Otherwise I will share the movie
along with the other files with all contacts I've obtained.
Forget about cops, I ensure you they could not locate me. Do not forget
about five days you have though. Or you may forget your honor afterwards.

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Quick menu:

• What is I Would Like To Avoid Any Accusations Against You 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?

Scammers probably had an email database they used to spread their scam. These letters are never personal.

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 likely have retrieved old passwords from a database that has been leaked on the dark web.

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

Unfortunately, crypto transactions are virtually untraceable. It means that the chances of getting your crypto funds back are low.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and eliminate almost all known malware infections. It is important to mention that high-end malware can be hiding deep in the system. Therefore, the system must be scanned fully (using a full scan).

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