A couple weeks ago, I got this email.
When I saw this, I totally freaked out! This was a password I had used before. I skimmed the rest of the letter. It was fake because... come on... no, I don't visit that kind of website and certainly don't do what it says I do. On top of that, my web camera was totally disconnected a couple years ago after I read how it can be turned on somehow. So I knew it was fake. But the password was familiar. It was one I used on my old Facebook account that I deleted a few years ago.
I contacted my techie son-in-law who told me I should change any other account where I used the same password. When I checked my accounts, I hadn't used that password in many places so I could change them pretty easily.
Then I saw that Jalna of Photos By Jalna had written about this very thing a few days ago. I thought I'd better warn all of you not to be taken in. Even though the information it purports to have about you is fake, some people might still be taken in to send money to this evil person.
Everyone is stressed out right now and perhaps vulnerable.
Please be careful.
POSTSCRIPT: What a surprise! They just reported this scam on the afternoon news. I guess Jalna and I weren’t the only ones hit by this evil.
POSTSCRIPT: What a surprise! They just reported this scam on the afternoon news. I guess Jalna and I weren’t the only ones hit by this evil.
I assume that most potential victims of this would be young males, and they wouldn't care anyway. lol
ReplyDeleteA similar letter arrived in my inbox a few weeks ago - I checked online and discovered this scam (in one way or another) had been going around for several years. I wondered about the password but it wasn't all there - just part of what looked like a very old one then some symbols. Still changed most of mine to be on the safe side
ReplyDeleteDid just wonder where they got my email address from though.
It's distressing to realize that there are people who take advantage of others. I am sure there were always those who were trying to scam others, but the internet opened up a whole new world of opportunity for such types. It's a good thing indeed to be making everyone aware, so thank you!
ReplyDeleteI almost wish I'd get this email! I deactivated my Facebook account in August 2018, this past Christmas I thought I'd reactivate it for a couple days to see my cousins holiday photos. But I'd neglected to save my FB password and couldn't remember it. Anyway, I agree with anvilcloud--if someone had secret laptop camera videos of me, it'd show me yawning or drinking coffee or squinting at my screen--send it to everyone I know!
ReplyDeletePS. The only way they could've gotten email addresses and old FB passwords (even partial ones) was probably from some of those older, questionable apps on Facebook. I've never trusted the security on that site.
ReplyDeleteI never open any strange links and when I was contacted about a frozen screen several years ago. They wanted money to unfreeze it. They warned me not to turn off my computer. That's exactly what I did and the message disappeared. Unfortunately I did not mention this to my neighbor and she had the same experience and ended up giving the scammer $600. I was so sorry I had not warned her.
ReplyDeleteThere will always be unscrupulous people looking for ways to take advantage of others. I was taught a good trick by my hubby if I get one of those messages. I waited for one, but it never came. I have changed all my Facebook settings to hide my friends and keep myself safe. I laughed at the thought that you would be doing such activities. I agree that this is mostly targeted to young men, who probably wouldn't care anyway. :-)
ReplyDeletehow do you do this?
DeleteI received a similar email months ago...I had to laugh but quickly deleted it. For someone guilty of pornography I can see how this type of threat might threaten him and get the results the emailer wanted. Guess you just need to take the bad with the good and be careful!
ReplyDeleteGood grief, don't know how they do that and sure hope I don't get any. So far so good. My FB account is a fake one set up by my niece so I could visit her account. All information goes to her as she used her password and address.
ReplyDeleteAnother reason I don't do Facebook. Please ask techie son-in-law if including the evil email in your blog could have "infected" all the blogger's computers? Hope not. Put a facemask on your computer and any cameras, eh? Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteThe email address alone wouldn't do it unless somebody decided to email them. However, I've changed the email anyway and taken away the link. I took away my camera a couple of years ago when they mentioned how cameras were being turned on in kids' bedrooms, etc.
DeleteI disabled my camera some time ago too.
DeleteOK, thanks for explaining. Can't we just use a disinfectant wipe on our computer screen and PC towers to get rid of evil things on our computer? OK, I know that won't work, but I had to say it. Linda in Kansas
DeleteSuch crooks out there
ReplyDeleteYou got one of those too?
ReplyDeleteWell, whoever it is must be sending them out pretty indiscriminately. I guess if one person in a thousand is scared into sending money, the scumbag figures it's worth it. Me, I wouldn't even know how to get bitcoins.
I guess this is what happens when people have too much time on their hands in a pandemic. What a creep. I got 390 spam comments on my blog this morning within about an hour. Of course I also got an email announcing each one that had to be deleted. I’ve got better things to do, if they haven’t!
ReplyDeleteThank you for being a positive influence.
ReplyDeleteLove you Kay
DeleteWhat a shocking letter. There are so many scams now – I don’t remember them when I was a young woman. I was also thinking – what are burglars doing these days that everyone has to stay home?
ReplyDeleteI got one of those too! I spent two hours that morning changing passwords. It was an old one but I still had seven or eight sights that used it. You would think changing passwords would be easy, but some sights bury the process so deeply that it had me swearing. I hate scammers.
ReplyDeleteHow do they get away with it? Terrible people.
ReplyDeleteGoodness me! So many scams around these days.
ReplyDeleteTake care
All the best Jan
I tend to be on meetings via Zoom more often now and I know they have vulnerabilities. I have to go through an clean out all my old accounts...once I get some breathing space. Who cares if someone goes to porn sites? I would not judge. Such a creepy thing to do to someone.
ReplyDeleteYou always have to be careful
ReplyDeleteThere's always some scam going around and yes some of them are quit realistic.
ReplyDeleteScary ... thanks for the warning!
ReplyDeletePeople can be so sick.
ReplyDeleteWhen I ordered a new computer a few years ago... no camera, no microphone.
ReplyDelete