Scammers often use fear to steal your hard-earned money from you. No matter what type of scam it is, whether it’s a call from Microsoft or government phishing, they all try to scare you by claiming that something is seriously wrong with you or your devices and that only they can fix it. The latest sextortion scams targeting many people in the US are no exception.
These scammers contact you via email and claim to have compromising photos or videos of you in private situations, and demand money to delete them. What’s new is that these scammers now include images of your home to make their threats seem more convincing.
I’ve received emails from many people telling me how these scammers targeted them. Below is a breakdown of the evolved sextortion scam and tips on how to stay protected.
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Illustration of a scammer at work (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How the scam works
It all starts when you receive an email from a scammer who claims to have recorded you while watching adult content. They use your name and include a photo of your house or a nearby street to make it look real.
The scammer claims to have installed a spyware program called “Pegasus” on your phone and to have access to everything you see. Pegasus is a spyware developed by NSO Group, a company that sells it only to government agencies and law enforcement.
It’s very expensive and it’s highly unlikely that a random scammer would have access to it. Even if they did, it wouldn’t be worth the time to stalk people who watch adult content. Plus, if they’ve installed the spyware on your phone, they won’t need to ask you to send them money.
Once the scammer has you scared, they offer to delete the supposed images and pretend you never existed if you pay them. They usually include a QR code for a cryptocurrency wallet and ask for Bitcoin as payment. One email I saw from a victim mentioned a ransom of about $2,000.
Below is a portion of the email the victim received. I have redacted all personal information to protect his identity, but you can still view the text.
Real Sextortion Scam Email (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
THIS IS WHAT RUTHLESS HACKERS STOLE FROM 110 MILLION AT&T CUSTOMERS
How do scammers know your location?
The picture of your house may make the scam look real, but it’s probably just a trick. One possible reason they have that information is a data breach. Your address could have been leaked in a breach and ended up on the dark web. The scammers could have gotten their hands on it and used Google Maps to find a photo of your house. Another reason could be that you posted an ad for something online, such as a rental or sale ad. If you’ve shared your address publicly in an online ad, the scammers may have found it that way.
Google Maps vehicle that captures images (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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Protect your privacy: blur your home on Google Maps
Google Maps is the way to access images of your home. But you can blur your home on the platform and avoid being alarmed by scammers. You’ll have to do this from a computer, as the blurring feature isn’t available in the Google Maps app on iOS or Android. Follow these steps to learn how:
- Gonna maps.google.com and write your home address in the search bar at the top right.
- Click on the photo from your house that appears.
- You will see a Street View image from your place. Click Report a problem In the lower right corner.
- Adjust the view so that your house and anything else you want to blur is inside the red and black box using the mouse.
- Select the option for blur your home of the options given.
- Hit Deliver, and Google will review your request and blur your home if necessary.
Blurry house on Google Maps (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
4 Additional Steps to Stay Protected Against Sextortion Scams
Here are four additional steps you can take to stay protected from sextortion scams:
1) Be careful with personal information: Avoid sharing personal information such as your address, phone number or other sensitive data online. Be careful about what you post on social media and other platforms.
2) Watch out for warning signs: Scammers often lie. For example, the Pegasus software they claim to use is a lie. Stay informed about common scams and how they work. Knowing what to look out for can help you recognize and avoid potential threats.
3) Change passwords: If the email includes a password, make sure you are no longer using it, and if you are, change it as soon as possible. ON ANOTHER DEVICE (i.e. your laptop or desktop), you should change the passwords for all your important accounts, such as email, banking, social media, etc.
You should do this on another device to ensure that if the scammer actually has access to your device, they are not recording you while you set up your new password. You should also use strong, unique passwords that are difficult to guess or crack. You can also use a password manager toor generate and store your passwords securely. Changing passwords should be part of your overall cybersecurity hygiene, even if you are not affected by a data breach.
4) Use personal data deletion services: Consider investing in personal data removal services that specialize in continuously monitoring and removing your personal information from various online databases and websites.
I mentioned earlier that the scammers probably gained access to your address through a data breach. A data removal service can help you remove all of this personal information from the Internet. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
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Kurt’s key takeaway
Scammers use fear and deception to trick you into giving them your hard-earned money. If you understand how these sexual extortion scams work and know what to look out for, you can better protect yourself from falling victim. Remember, most of these scammers are lying and preying on your fears. Keep your personal information safe, be careful about what you share online, and always verify the legitimacy of any threatening messages you receive. If you encounter a scam, report it to the proper authorities and take steps to protect your accounts and devices.
Have you ever encountered a similar or other type of scam? How did you handle it? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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