sextortion Archives - Komando.com

Scammers are coming after your kids and teens

Kim Komando — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000

What comes to mind when you think of someone getting scammed? A grandma on the phone with some jerk? If so, this will probably surprise you.

The total money lost by teens in online scams grew by nearly 2,500% between 2017 and 2022. Victims under the age of 20 lost a staggering $210 million in 2022 alone.

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Ask a tech expert: I’m being sextorted! What should I do?

Kim Komando — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 20:00:00 +0000

I just got a scary email threatening to destroy all of my information — even naked pics on my computer. The email demanded I send payment in Bitcoins. What should I do?

— A reader in Oregon
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Teenager takes his own life after vicious scam – Talk to your kids now

Charlie Fripp — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:50:00 +0000

Scammers are everywhere, and they have no compassion for who they target or the damage it causes. Their evil behavior was again thrust into the limelight as a teen committed suicide after falling victim to a scam.

California resident Ryan Last struck up an online conversation with someone he believed to be a girl. The back-and-forth text messages continued until past midnight on a weekday. By early morning, he had taken his own life.

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Sextortion emails are scary and effective – Victims out $8M so far this year

Charlie Fripp — Wed, 08 Sep 2021 08:00:00 +0000

Scammers will do almost anything to get their hands on your personal information. Even though your social media accounts are of high value, photos of you in compromising situations can also yield a big reward for them. This is called sextortion and has been increasing at an alarming rate.

The FBI has dealt with more than 16,000 such extortion cases so far this year, which has cost victims $8 million. The largest target for sextortion falls into the 20-39 age group, making up more than half of all complaints.

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Blackmail warning: Hackers are sending X-rated emails

Charlie Fripp — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Scammers know all the tricks to catch potential victims in their data-stealing traps. Hidden malware, fake advertising, or bogus phishing apps are all part of a cybercriminal’s technological arsenal. But there is one aspect that scammers frequently target: the human mind.

Tricking a victim into clicking on a malicious link takes some skill, but mentally manipulating them into action is fraud on a completely different level. The covert techniques aren’t anything new, but lately, it has become more prevalent. Tap or click here for reasons you’re getting so much email spam.

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With everyone on Zoom, this dangerous scam is out of control

Albert Khoury — Fri, 19 Feb 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Those of us who grew up during the internet’s early days remember the warnings. Young people were told never to share information. Adults sought to protect their children with lectures and net nannies.

Though we are generally smarter browsers nowadays, bad actors have evolved tactics accordingly. Teens are being targeted via chat and dating apps. Scammers either ask for explicit photos from the victim or send such images themselves. Following this, they demand compensation and threaten exposure. Tap or click here to read about this new form of sextortion.

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Don’t open this email about a ‘Zoom conference call’ – it’s a ‘sextortion’ scam

James Gelinas — Sun, 01 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Sextortion is a nasty kind of scam that too many people are unfortunately falling for. Most of the time, scammers are bluffing when they claim to have blackmail over their victims — but that hasn’t stopped them from racking up millions of dollars in stolen funds.

When scammers make sextortion threats, they’re playing on paranoia and fear. Despite all the bluster, they almost never have access to your webcam or illicit footage of you. Tap or click here to see Kim’s guide to these scams and how to avoid them.

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5 answers to common tech questions revealed

Kim Komando — Sat, 26 Sep 2020 14:00:00 +0000

A woman called her company’s tech support desk, and the technician asked for her password. She replied, “Snow White Cinderella Snoopy Dopey Pinocchio Harry Potter Ariel 5.” The technician said, “That’s a great long password.” The woman replied, “Thank you! I was told my password needs to have seven characters and one number.”

Jokes aside, you should never give anyone your password. As hacking methods get more sophisticated, there are new rules for creating hard-to-crack passwords. Tap or click here to make sure your passwords are up to snuff.

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Warning: FBI says sextortion scammers are using this scary new tactic

James Gelinas — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 10:00:00 +0000

Of all the scams floating around on the web, sextortion scams are some of the scariest to deal with. When a hacker claims to have intimate photos of you and threatens to post them online, it feels like a total violation of your rights. Thankfully, for the most part, these scams are nothing but bluster.

Until recently, scammers would only claim that they had recordings of their victims without offering proof to back it up. But as times change, so do hackers and their tactics. Tap or click here to see a malware that actually does what sextortion scammers claim to do.

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5 scams spreading online that can cost you thousands

Kim Komando — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 14:00:00 +0000

We know that scams are rampant, but so many Americans still fall for them. Think you’re immune? Take Google’s scam spotter quiz and see if you can pass it.

You may have noticed that the number of robocalls slowed down when the pandemic hit. As call centers reopen around the world, robocalls are increasing. Tap or click here for proven ways to stop annoying robocalls for good.

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An awful new twist on sextortion scams – what you need to know

James Gelinas — Sun, 21 Jun 2020 03:00:00 +0000

COVID-19 has led many Americans to adopt a solitary lifestyle they might not be totally used to. Social isolation and staying indoors will not only protect you from viral exposure but can also protect others if you happen to be positive.

That said, the loneliness caused by social isolation hasn’t stopped people from seeking romance and companionship online. Internet dating is still going strong, even if people aren’t going out and meeting one another as much as before the pandemic. Tap or click here to see our complete guide to online dating.

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Don’t open this email – it’s a cleverly-disguised ‘sextortion’ scam

James Gelinas — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Few things are scarier than a direct threat to you and your family. Whether it comes by email, text, or phone call, an extortion message can feel like a disgusting violation of privacy.

But add sexual blackmail to the mix, and all bets are off. If you’ve ever gotten an email from a hacker claiming they’ve got you on tape watching porn, you know exactly how disturbing “sextortion” scams are. Tap or click here to see why they’re back in the news again.

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Hackers demanding nude photos in latest ransomware scheme

James Gelinas — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 14:00:00 +0000

Ransomware isn’t something to be taken lightly. Unless you’re the kind of person who backs everything up several times, a single ransomware attack can leave you with no access to your most important files and documents. In a primarily digital economy, that’s no position anyone wants to be in.

Getting infected by ransomware leaves you with only two options: pay the bribe or lose your files. While some can afford to ditch their files and ignore the ransom, others would rather pay than risk losing anything. Tap or click to see the free tools you need to fight ransomware.

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Scary sextortion scam is on the rise – and hackers have a new target

James Gelinas — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Sextortion campaigns are nothing new, but their effects can be terrifying for the unprepared. Just the idea that someone is watching your intimate moments is nothing short of bone-chilling, which is why its the perfect threat for money-hungry hackers and fraudsters to use on victims.

Thankfully, sextortion campaigns are usually more bark than bite. It’s rare for the so-called hackers to possess any compromising footage in the first place, but the fear caused by their threats is usually enough for victims to deliver the goods. Tap or click here for an inside look at how sextortion scammers trick victims.

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Malware alert: Frightening sextortion scam is back and spreading faster than ever

James Gelinas — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 23:00:07 +0000

Catching malware on your computer is bad enough. Seeing your computer turn into a zombie that spams extortion messages to millions of people is even worse.

Hackers continue to find creative ways to commit crimes, and one method is quickly rising in popularity: sextortion. A new type of sextortion malware is spreading around. Click or tap here to learn if your internet accounts have been compromised.

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New malware records users visiting adult websites

James Gelinas — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 19:11:22 +0000

It’s no secret that there are eyes all over the web keeping tabs on your every move — and it’s not all spyware and ad trackers doing it, either. In fact, some of the biggest names in tech routinely monitor your activity in order to learn about you, recommend content, and sell products and services to you.

But some activities are best left unmonitored. Our most intimate activities are the kind of material that unscrupulous marketers and cybercriminals are dying to get a hold of — and when they do, the end result is usually blackmail or worse.

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Sextortion scams are ⁠back ⁠— and spreading quickly

James Gelinas — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 00:00:41 +0000

You probably get more emails in a day than you know what to do with. At least, that’s the case for most folks on the internet. Because of this, it’s not uncommon to just delete what comes through willy-nilly — no matter how enticing or alluring the subject line might be.

But imagine you’re cleaning up your inbox and something catches your eye that you weren’t expecting: a subject line containing your password. When you open the email, a threatening message claiming to be from a hacker says that your webcam has been compromised — and that they’ve caught you in a moment of intimacy. Now, it’s time to pay up in Bitcoin, or else the hacker will expose you publicly.

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FBI warns sextortion scams targeting teens is on the rise; how to protect your kids

James Gelinas — Sun, 07 Jul 2019 00:00:00 +0000

One of the best and worst things about the internet is the concept of anonymity. On one hand, being anonymous preserves our right to privacy, and keeps intrusive organizations and governments from watching the things that we do. On the other, anonymity can enable people to behave their absolute worst and empower questionable behavior with little fear of backlash. People can say anything and pretend to be anyone — and it’s increasingly more difficult to know if anyone is really who they say they are!

That’s why a number of bad actors are taking advantage of anonymity to hurt some of the most vulnerable people on the internet: our kids. More than ever, children on the internet are at risk of exploitation from strangers — and these deviants have an entirely new toolkit at their disposal to get what they want.

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Frightening webcam email looks too real to be a hacker scam

Francis Navarro — Fri, 15 Mar 2019 00:00:13 +0000

We at Komando.com do our best to keep you updated on all the online schemes, ploys and scams that are spreading around. Remember, scammers often rely on scare tactics, counting on you to overlook important details out of fear.

Take the notorious “sextortion” scam, for example. It’s an email that claims that someone has installed malware onto a porn site that you have visited and with some unknown “software magic,” they have video evidence of your “private” moments.”

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Watch out – Sextortion phishing scams now masquerade as security warnings

Francis Navarro — Fri, 01 Mar 2019 20:00:56 +0000

That creepy sextortion scam we’ve been warning you about is getting multiple makeovers and beware – it’s now slipping through workplace email and spam filters quite easily.

To refresh your memory, a sextortion scam is an email that claims that someone has installed malware onto a porn site that you have visited and with some unknown “software magic,” they have video evidence of your “private” moments.

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