Amid lockdown, 'porn scam' targeting gullible netizens

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad cyber crime police have received seven ‘porn scam’ cases, in which scammers targeted people claiming that they have videos of them watching porn. To not make the videos public, the scamsters a demanded ransom in bitcoin.

Cyber security experts call this ‘scareware’ which uses social engineering to take advantage of a user’s fear. Mostly Nigerian scammers are known for committing this type of fraud.

One of the emails received by a potential victim started with: ‘Send $1000 in bitcoin to the under address (sic).’

It went on to say: ‘You may be wondering why the heck would you do that? Very well, put together yourself because I am going to tremble your entire world now. I had a dangerous spyware infect your own PC as well as record video of YOU (using your cam) while you browsed 'adult' sites (sic).’

The email further revealed the password of the user’s email ID and warned, ‘Still don't believe me? Respond 7 and l'll be randomly share your video clip with 7 people you recognize (Yes, I have access to your address book too) (sic).’‘ Right now, what can I want to make this whole thing disappear? Very well, I have already mentioned the deal in beginning of the email. Should you not fulfil it within twenty-four hours, I most certainly will make your life hell by mailing that video to everybody you know. Your time starts right now," the email ends.

The scammers’ modus operandi is that in the first email they say that they created videos of the recipient using adult web sites through their webcam, and have stolen the recipient’s contacts and access to adult web browsing data. It gives four days time to deposit the ransom.

If there is no response, then after four days they send another e-mail saying the intended victim has two more days to respond. After two days, they will send an e-mail from their intended victim’s own e-mail by spoofing and this is often enough to scare the victim into complying.

During this lockdown period, they have refined their modus operandi and now reveal the password and send it in the subject line of the e-mail to scare the intended victims even more.

K.V.M. Prasad, assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Hyderabad Cyber Crime, said, "In the last 10 days we have received seven petitions including two from women regarding such mails demanding ransom in bitcoins and the mail sender is furnishing the passwords of the e-mail IDs. In all the cases the victims are using Hotmail accounts."

Anil Rachamalla, founder of End Now Foundation, which advocates digital safety, said, "It is one of the social engineering frauds known as ‘scareware tactic’. It is not hacking. Cyber criminals are targeting mostly elderly people as they have the potential to pay compared to the youth."

Rachamalla added, "As the number of porn viewers is very high, they are sending bulk mails and threatening them. Most of the victims do not lodge a complaint.”

Most cyber criminals get the password from the Dark Net and the threat could hit the target or not. Citizens should be aware about this type of fraud and not fall prey to it, added Prasad.

Cyber crime police and experts in the field appeal to the public not to believe these emails and panic and deposit the money. Upon receiving such an email, report it to the police.

Further, note the password sent in the ransom e-mail, and change it immediately. To avert falling prey to this type of fraud, activate the two factor authentication for all social media accounts.