How to avoid scams like "You Visited Some Hacked Websites With Exploit"

What kind of scam is "You Visited Some Hacked Websites With Exploit"?

We have reviewed the email and determined that it is part of a sextortion scam. These types of scams typically use threatening language to scare the recipient into sending money, even though the claims made are false and fabricated. Such emails should be ignored to avoid monetary loss or other negative outcomes.

More about the "You Visited Some Hacked Websites With Exploit" scam email

Scammers behind this email claim that they have gained access to the recipient's devices and local network through malware installed when the victim visited a compromised website. They allege that this malware allows them to monitor activity, access files, activate the webcam and microphone, and collect personal information.

They further claim to have recorded a compromising video of the victim and demand $1,290 in Bitcoin to prevent the footage from being shared with contacts or made public. They urge the recipient to take action within 48 hours to avoid these "consequences".

As we mentioned in the introduction, emails of this type are classified as sextortion scams. Usually, none of the claims in such emails are true. Therefore, whoever receives such an email should ignore it and never send money or provide personal information to scammers.

Similar scam emails in general

In conclusion, sextortion scams are designed to manipulate recipients through scare tactics and false claims. These messages typically contain no real threat and should not be trusted. The best response is to ignore the message, avoid engaging with the sender, and never send money or share personal information.

It is important to note that fraudulent emails can sometimes be used to deliver malware. Some examples of other sextortion scams are "Have You Heard Of Hermit Email Scam", "We Have Your Search Requests And Webcam Footage Email Scam", and "Data From All Your Devices Is Copied To My Servers Email Scam".

How do spam campaigns infect computers?

Cybercriminals use emails to deliver malware by including infected attachments or deceptive links. These attachments might be documents, archives, executables, ISO files, script files, etc., and interacting with them (e.g., running malicious executables or enabling macros in infected documents) can trigger an infection.

In other cases, these emails can direct users to fraudulent or compromised websites that trick them into downloading malware. Some of these sites can download malicious software automatically when visited, without requiring the user to click anything.

How to avoid installation of malware?

Avoid interacting with ads, pop-ups, or links on untrustworthy websites, and never allow notifications from suspicious sites. Use reputable antivirus or security software and run system scans regularly. Never download pirated software, keygens, or cracking tools. Always download applications and files from official websites or trusted app stores.

Exercise caution with emails or other types of messages and avoid opening links and attachments in unknown, unexpected, or similar messages. Regularly update your operating system and software to protect against security flaws. 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 "You Visited Some Hacked Websites With Exploit" email letter:

Subject: Cooperation Offer.

Hello!
As you can see, this is not a formal email, and unfortunately, it does not mean anything good for you.
BUT do not despair, it is not critical. I am going to explain to you everything right now.

I have access to your electronic devices, which are the part of the local network you regularly use.
I have been tracking your activity for the last few months.

How did that happen?
You visited some hacked websites with Exploit, and your device was exposed to my malicious software (I bought it in Darknet from specialists in this field).
This is a very complex software, operating as Trojan Horse. It updates regularly, and your antivirus can not detect it.
The program has a keylogger; it can turn your camera and microphone on and off, send files and provide access to your local network.

It took me some time to get access to the information from other devices, and as of now, I have all your contacts with conversations, info about your locations, what you like, your favourite websites, etc.
Honestly, I meant nothing bad at first and did that just for fun. This is my hobby.

But I got HIV and unfortunately lost my job.
And I figured out how to use "my hobby" to get money from you!
I recorded a video of you masturbating. This video has a separated screen, where you can be easily recognised; also, it can be clearly seen what sort of video you prefer.
Well, I am not proud of this, but I need money to survive.

Let's make a deal. You pay me as much as I ask you to, and I won't send this video to your friends, family, and other acquaintances.
You should understand, this is not a joke. I can send it by email, through SMS-link, social media, even post it in mass media (I have got some hacked accounts of their admins).
So you can become Twitter or Instagram "Star"!

To avoid this, you should send me 1,290 USD in Bitcoins on my BTC wallet:1Q3ZMhxXKNdpySDFhtu6i8meoQLauuNo2S

If you don't know how to use Bitcoins, search it in Bing or Google <> or other stuff like that.
I will delete the video as soon as I receive the money. I will also delete the malicious software from your device, and you will never hear from me again.
I'll give you 2 days, that's more than enough, I think. Time tracking will start as soon as you open this email, I am monitoring this!

And one last thing:
It makes no sense to report about this to the police since I am using TOR, so there is no way to track Bitcoin transactions.
Don't respond to me (I generated this letter in your account and put the real address of the man who has no idea about this). In such a way, I make it impossible to track me.

If you ever do something stupid or against my expectations, I will immediately share this video.
Good luck!

Instant automatic malware removal:

Manual threat removal might be a lengthy and complicated process that requires advanced IT skills. Combo Cleaner is a professional automatic malware removal tool that is recommended to get rid of malware. Download it by clicking the button below:

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.

Quick menu:

• What is You Visited Some Hacked Websites With Exploit sextortion scam?
• 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?

You likely received a scam email because your address was obtained from a data leak, a hacked or fake website, or in some other way. These emails are often sent to many people and they are not personally targeted.

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

If you shared login credentials, immediately change your passwords for all accounts that could be compromised and monitor thenm for suspicious activity. In other cases, contact the relevant authorities or service providers.

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

If the file was an executable, infection is very likely. However, if it was a document (like a PDF or Word file), you might have avoided infection since just opening such files does not always trigger malware.

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

Most likely not. These scam emails usually make false claims to scare recipients.

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

Unfortunately, cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, so it is very unlikely to retrieve lost cryptocurrency.

I have read the email but did not open the attachment, is my computer infected?

Opening an email is safe and does not infect your device. Only clicking on links or opening attachments can cause infections.

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

Yes, Combo Cleaner can detect and remove nearly all known malware. Since advanced malware often hides deep within the system, it is essential to perform a full system scan.