A threatening email scam has resurfaced, where the sender claims to possess footage of individuals involved in adult activities to extort victims.
The scam email begins with the phrase “hello pervert” and usually comes from the receiver’s own email address.
The fraudsters then claim they have been spying on you through your webcam and threaten to release footage of the user watching adult content or engaging in private acts unless a ransom is paid.
One email stated: “Don’t think of yourself as an innocent victim. No one knows where your perversion might lead in the future, so consider this a kind of deserved punishment to stop you.”
To further add credibility to the email, the text may refer to Pegasus, a spyware software developed by Israeli firm NSO Group.
Old passwords which have been sourced from previous data leaks may also be used to intimidate the victim and make them believe the threat is real.
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, over 13 million reports were submitted to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service by August 2022.
Cybersecurity experts at Malwarebytes told MailOnline that you should never reply to this email if it happens to arrive in your inbox.
They said: “First and foremost, never reply to emails of this kind as it may tell the sender that someone is reading the emails sent to that address.
“They will then repeatedly try new and other methods to defraud you.”
Any old passwords included in the email should not be used, and if still in use they should be changed immediately, according to the advice from Malwarebytes.
It’s also important not to click on any attachments as it can lead to malware being installed on your device.
If you have been scammed and need help to recover your money fill out our Fraud Reclaim Form or call us for advice on 0333 0033218.