Daft blackmail attempt

[Jim Audiomisc]

I've just received an email which attempts to blackmail me on the basis of a series of false claims. In detail it is clearly "fishing for guilt" as the assertions are as vague as they are risible! I've sent a copy - including headers - to the man who runs my service provision.

The curio that prompts me to raise it here is that it came to *and* pretendes to come *from* my main private email address. Which in general I don't use for webpage contact, etc. So:

1) It may come from my using the address when registering for PFM and the other forum I use.

2) It may come from someone I've emailed sometime having their setup hacked.

3) May come from my own ISP's system being hacked

etc. Dunno.

The odd thing is that it shows as being *from* me. Yet it seems to assume I use 'devices' of kinds I don't own or use. i.e. looks a lot like a copy of a generic threat sent out in the hope of catching some fish.

No idea how it expects me to respond given that it provides no reply address. Albeit it does have a header trail. Maybe that would come later on after a few more threats/warnings.

Posting here as a head's up, in case others may get the same and fall for it or panic.

 

[Seeker_UK]

If it's the e-mail I think it is, it's been doing the rounds for years but worth raising awareness of as there's enough in there to make many recipients think twice.

Sextortion emails: how to protect yourself

Advice in response to the increase in sextortion scams

www.ncsc.gov.uk

 

[bigjonny]

I've just received an email which attempts to blackmail me on the basis of a series of false claims. In detail it is clearly "fishing for guilt" as the assertions are as vague as they are risible! I've sent a copy - including headers - to the man who runs my service provision.

The curio that prompts me to raise it here is that it came to *and* pretendes to come *from* my main private email address. Which in general I don't use for webpage contact, etc. So:

1) It may come from my using the address when registering for PFM and the other forum I use.

2) It may come from someone I've emailed sometime having their setup hacked.

3) May come from my own ISP's system being hacked

etc. Dunno.

The odd thing is that it shows as being *from* me. Yet it seems to assume I use 'devices' of kinds I don't own or use. i.e. looks a lot like a copy of a generic threat sent out in the hope of catching some fish.

No idea how it expects me to respond given that it provides no reply address. Albeit it does have a header trail. Maybe that would come later on after a few more threats/warnings.

Posting here as a head's up, in case others may get the same and fall for it or panic.

I get them from myself as well, there’s usually instructions to pay into a bitcoin account or evidence of “my activities” will be sent to all my contacts.

 

[Lee T]

Yep, it's standard scammer fare to send out these emails.

I just told the guy to do what he wants & never heard back.

 

[Weekender]

I admitted to all of it and urged them to publish for all to see.
Funny haven't seen anything.

(My son traced the original email address to a defunct company in Holland in about 30 secs. Blocked it)

 

[Tony L]

1) It may come from my using the address when registering for PFM and the other forum I use.

Absolutely nothing to do with pfm. This is a modern secure site. I just googled your registered email and you have it plastered in plain text on your public website right here: https://www.audiomisc.co.uk As such it will have been harvested literally millions of times by the most basic web-crawlers imaginable. Your email address is in plain text in the public domain. You have made no attempt whatsoever to hide it.

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

I just told the guy to do what he wants & never heard back.

Easy do that as it is headered as beiing *FROM* me! ...erm...

Presumably its a 'soften up' message and I'll get more threatening ones unless/untill my provider can block them. Here I can just add them to the recognised spam list unless my provider wants copies.

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

Absolutely nothing to do with pfm. This is a modern secure site. I just googled your registered email and you have it plastered in plain text on your public website right here: https://www.audiomisc.co.uk As such it will have been harvested literally millions of times by the most basic web-crawlers imaginable. Your email address is in plain text in the public domain. You have made no attempt whatsoever to hide it.

I think that has my web@ address not my personal one. However spam as such isn't a problem as I just filter it out automatically. The curio here is the combination of the nature of the content and giving my email address as 'from'. But I assume I'll get a later email (if my provider doesn't deal with them) that tells me how to use my 'device' to make a transfer to them.

FWIW The header also claims the email was writting and sent using MickySoft software... erm, as people know, my house has no Windows! 8-]

At this point it seems just a curio that mixes amusement and curiosity . But no doubt it may panic some people.

I have far more pages that use the 'web' address. And they do get some 'legit' emails. So fair enough. If you fish, you sometimes catch a crab... or do I mean a spider. 8-] Just that this example seems unusually daft and inept.

 

[Tony L]

Fair enough. Yes, that's probably what they spidered.

I just need to make it very clear that it was not obtained from pfm. This is a modern site running up to date professional forum software, located on a corporate-grade server account with all the security that implies, and protected again behind Cloudflare.

 

[Fatmarley]

Thanks for the heads-up guys, they won't be getting another penny off me.

 

[paulfromcamden]

giving my email address as 'from'

I'm out of date with this stuff but it always used to be a doddle to spoof the 'mail from' field in a header.

In my first job I used to telnet to the SMTP server and manually send spoofed emails for Friday afternoon laffs.

 

[Joe P]

Jim, Jonny, Seeker, Fatmarley, Weekender, Tony L, Lee, Paul,

I know what you seek out online, you pervs! I’m a professional hacker. I’ve compromised your operating systems and taken control of your keyboard, mouse, camera and microphone. I have video and audio clips of you indulging your sick fantasies.

Send bitcoins to my account or I’ll email all your contacts evidence that you’re into Bose, you sickos. Not even the 901s. The shitty home theatre models.

You have 48 hours to comply.

I’ve hacked into your systems and know when you read this. The clock is ticking!

 

[paulfromcamden]

Joe - I know I spend an unhealthy amount of time online looking at runout groove matrix numbers but what can I do? I can't talk to my wife about that kind of stuff - she thinks it's a bit weird and frankly is a bit repulsed at how excited I get at by a Plastylite ear. C'mon, I know you understand. We can keep this to ourselves right?

 

[Seeker_UK]

Jim, Jonny, Seeker, Fatmarley, Weekender, Tony L, Lee, Paul,

I know what you seek out online, you pervs! I’m a professional hacker. I’ve hacked into your operating systems and taken control of your keyboard, mouse, camera and microphone. I have video and audio clips of you indulging your sick fantasies.

Send bitcoins to my account or I’ll email all your contacts evidence that you’re into Bose, you sickos. Not even the 901s. The shitty home theatre models.

You have 48 hours to comply.

I’ve hacked into your systems and know when you read this. The clock is ticking!

Sorry but I only carry Terran Imperial credits

 

[Alex N]

Only a matter of time before I get such an email…

…after wondering why Wandsworth was trending on X yesterday.

 

[Beobloke]

I sent them the money when I received one of these emails last week.

I don’t want to risk friends and family finding out about the filth I look at on the internet. You know, pictures of turntables with their platters off and ‘up-port’ loudspeaker shots…

 

[Jim Audiomisc]

I just need to make it very clear that it was not obtained from pfm. This is a modern site running up to date professional forum software, located on a corporate-grade server account with all the security that implies, and protected again behind Cloudflare.

Happy to accept that.

My puzzle is how/why they got the particular address for me, AND how I'd reply if I was fooled into paying given that they use my address as the from! Should I perhaps give myself some of my money? 8->

FWIW I routinely get spams. Goes with the territory. But this one is different to the usual in being as above.

 

[stevec67]

I sent them the money when I received one of these emails last week.

I don’t want to risk friends and family finding out about the filth I look at on the internet. You know, pictures of turntables with their platters off and ‘up-port’ loudspeaker shots…

You dirty bastard. Get away from me. Unless you know where I can get an EMT. Know what I mean?

 

[stevec67]

Jim, Jonny, Seeker, Fatmarley, Weekender, Tony L, Lee, Paul,

I know what you seek out online, you pervs! I’m a professional hacker. I’ve compromised your operating systems and taken control of your keyboard, mouse, camera and microphone. I have video and audio clips of you indulging your sick fantasies.

Send bitcoins to my account or I’ll email all your contacts evidence that you’re into Bose, you sickos. Not even the 901s. The shitty home theatre models.

You have 48 hours to comply.

I’ve hacked into your systems and know when you read this. The clock is ticking, pervs!

Joe, I've foolishly lost my internet history so I've lost the addresses for the best bits. Can you give me a few links to the really juicy stuff? The restoring vintage machinery and homemade camping equipment especially.

 

[Beobloke]

You dirty bastard. Get away from me. Unless you know where I can get an EMT. Know what I mean?

I know a bloke who knows a bloke I can put you in touch with…