Blackmail: PC-WELT editor caught watching porn

It’s a well-known scam: blackmailers send you an email claiming that your PC has been hacked and that you’ve been filmed watching porn and engaging in sexual activity. They are supposed to pay hush money – mostly in cryptocurrency – otherwise the recordings would be sent to all their contacts. Now such a blackmail email has also landed in our professional inbox. So we have such a blackmail email (in which we are not addressed personally) in full length and in the original.

It says in the ransom mail

Our own e-mail address is given as the sender, the original sender cannot be identified. Not even in the source text of the mail header. The text of the subject line does not match the rest of the email – unless the subject line is meant to be ironic. Because the subject is:

“You have an outstanding payment. Debt settlement required.”

This is followed by a remarkably long email text that follows the well-known pattern:

”

Hi!

Unfortunately I have some bad news for you.

A few months ago I managed to get full access to all the devices you use to surf the internet.

After that, I started monitoring all your activities on the internet.

You can read the sequence of events below:

Before that, I bought special access to various email accounts from hackers (it’s a pretty easy thing to do online these days).

Of course, I was also able to easily log into your e-mail account (deleted by editor).

A week later, I installed a trojan in the operating systems of all your devices that you use to log into your email account.

It was actually quite easy (since you’ve already opened a few links from your email inbox).

In the simplicity lies the genius.

Thanks to this software, I can access all the controls in your devices (e.g. the video camera, microphone, keyboard, etc.).

I can easily download all your data, photos, internet history and other information to my server.

I can access all your social network accounts, messengers, email, chat history and contact list.

This virus constantly updates its signatures (since it is controlled by a driver) and therefore goes unnoticed by antivirus software.

I think you now understand why I was never discovered until after I sent this letter…

Also, while compiling all information about you, I found out that you are a real fan and frequent visitor of adult websites.

They enjoy browsing porn websites, watching arousing videos and experiencing unimaginable satisfaction in the process.

To be honest I couldn’t resist when I recorded some of your kinky solo sessions and compiled them into several videos showing you masturbating and climaxing.

If you still don’t trust me, a few mouse clicks is enough to share all these videos to your colleagues, friends and even relatives.

Also, I can upload them online for the whole public to access.

I honestly don’t think you want anything like that. If you think about the kinky stuff that’s shown in the videos you usually watch (you know what I mean), it’s going to be a complete disaster for you.

We can still solve the problem in the following way:

They transfer me 1780€ (a bitcoin equivalent that depends on the exchange rate during the transfer) and after I receive the transfer I will immediately and without hesitation remove all these lewd videos.

Then we can pretend it never happened. Also, I assure you that all malicious programs will be disabled and removed from all your devices.

Don’t worry, I’m a man who keeps his word.

It’s really a good deal at a very low price considering I’ve been monitoring your profile and traffic for a long time.

If you still don’t know how to buy and transfer bitcoins, you can get the necessary information online.

My bitcoin wallet is as follows: 1HDbegqkbG5bvXYgeHot9U7xHwyfw7h7Cq

You have 48 hours and the countdown starts right after opening this email (2 days to be precise).

Don’t forget to observe and refrain from the following:

> Do not try to reply to my email (this email was generated in your inbox along with the sender’s address).

> Do not try to call the police or other security services. And don’t even think about sharing it with your friends.

If I find out about it (with my skills it would be very easy, because I have all your systems under my control and constantly monitor them), your dirty video will be published immediately.

> Don’t try to look for me – it’s totally useless. Cryptocurrency transactions always remain anonymous.

> Do not try to reinstall the operating system of your devices or even get rid of them. This is also useless because all your private videos are already available on remote servers.

Things to worry about:

> That I will not receive the funds you have sent.

Don’t worry, I can track it immediately after you complete the money transfer,

because I constantly monitor all your activities (my trojan virus can control all processes remotely, just like TeamViewer).

> That I will continue to distribute your videos even after you have transferred the money to me.

Believe me, there’s no point in bothering you any further after that. Besides, if that was really my intention, it would have happened by now!

We will settle everything on fair terms!

One last piece of advice from me… In the future, make sure you never get involved in such incidents again!

My suggestion: change all your passwords as often as possible.

”

Quote end

Tragic: already two victims

By the time of going to press, two people had already transferred bitcoins to the specified bitcoin wallet: 0.12232565 BTC, which corresponds to almost 3600 euros. Because this ransom mail was of course not only sent to us.

How to react correctly

If you also receive such an email: delete it without responding. However, if you have already been the victim of such a scam, you can file a complaint online here.

Here are some examples of such porn ransom emails:

New wave: Blackmail emails demand hush money – this is how the nasty attack works

Blackmailers threaten PC owners with publishing porn

Beware of this mail: extortionists demand 1300 euros in Bitcoin

Bavarian police catch porn mail blackmailers

Blackmail emails demanding bitcoins for watching porn

Blackmail emails: We filmed you masturbating

Police warn: New porn blackmail emails allegedly from Anonymous