Scammers often play on fear to steal your hard-earned money. Whatever the type of scam, whether it’s a Microsoft phone scam or a government impersonation, they’ll try to scare you by claiming that you or your device has a serious problem and that only they can fix it. The latest sextortion scam targeting many people in the United States is no exception.
These bad actors will contact you via email, claiming to have compromising photos or videos of you in private situations, and demand money to have them removed. What’s new is that these scammers are now including images of your home to make their blackmail more convincing.
Many of you have emailed us to tell us how these scammers are targeting you. Below are more details on the evolved sextortion scams and tips on how to protect yourself.
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Illustration of a scammer at work (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
How the scam works
It starts with receiving an email from a scammer claiming to have recorded you while watching adult content. The scammer uses your name and attaches photos of your house or a nearby street to make it look like it’s real.
The scammers claim that they will install spyware called “Pegasus” on your phone, giving them access to everything you watch. Pegasus is a spyware developed by the NSO Group, a company that sells exclusively to government and law enforcement agencies.
This is very expensive and it is highly unlikely that a random scammer would ever have access to this. Even if they did, stalking someone who is watching adult content is a waste of time. Plus, if they have spyware installed on your phone, they don’t need to ask you for money.
After scaring you, the scammers offer to pay you money to have the so-called footage deleted and pretend you never existed. Typically, they include a QR code for a cryptocurrency wallet and ask for Bitcoin as payment. One email I saw from a victim included a ransom of around $2,000.
We have attached some of the emails victims received below. We have obscured personal information to protect their privacy, but you can still see the text of the email.
Sextortion scam emails in action (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
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How do scammers know where you are?
While the scam might seem real when you see a picture of your home, it’s probably just a trick. One reason a scammer could have gotten hold of that information is a data leak. Your address could have been leaked and ended up on the dark web. The scammer could have gotten hold of it and used Google Maps to find pictures of your house. Another reason could be that you listed something online, like a rental or sales ad. If you made your address public in an online listing, the scammer could have found your address that way.
A Google Maps vehicle taking an image (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
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Protect your privacy: Blur your home on Google Maps
Google Maps is how scammers get access to images of your home. But you can blur your home on the platform to stop scammers from scaring you. You’ll need to do this from a computer, as the blurring feature isn’t available in the Google Maps app for iOS or Android. Follow these steps to learn how:
- Go to map and, Home address Type it in the search bar on the top right.
- Click photograph Your house will appear.
- you Street View Images Your location. Click Report an issue It’s in the bottom right corner.
- Adjusting the view Use your mouse to make sure your house or anything else you want to blur is inside the red and black box.
- Select an option Blur your home from the given options.
- strike submit, Google will review your request and blur your home if it deems necessary.
Blurred house on Google Maps (Kurt “Cyberguy” Knutson)
4 Extra Steps to Protect Yourself from Sextortion Scams
Here are four additional steps you can take to protect yourself from sextortion scams:
1) Be careful with your personal information: Avoid sharing personal information online, such as your address, phone number, or other sensitive information. Be careful about what you post on social media and other platforms.
2) Watch out for warning signs: Scammers are often bluffing – for example, the Pegasus software they claim to use is a lie. Stay informed about common scams and how they operate. Knowing what to look out for can help you recognize and avoid potential threats.
3) Change your password: If the email contains a password, make sure you’re not using it anymore and if you are, change it as soon as possible. On another device (laptop or desktop), you should change the passwords for all important accounts like email, banking, social media, etc.
You should do this on a different device so that even if a scammer actually gets access to your device, they can’t record you setting a new password. You should also use a strong, unique password that’s difficult to guess or crack. password manager to Generate and store passwords securely: Even if you haven’t been affected by a data breach, changing your password should be part of your general cybersecurity practices.
4) Use a personal data deletion service: Consider investing in a personal data removal service that specializes in continually monitoring and deleting your personal information from various online databases and websites.
As mentioned above, the scammers most likely gained access to your address through a data breach. Data removal services can help you remove all this personal information from the internet. Check out my recommended data deletion services here.
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Important points about the cart
Scammers use fear and deception to trick you out of your hard-earned money. Understanding how sextortion scams work and knowing what to look out for can help protect you from becoming a victim. Remember, most of these scammers are bluffing and exploiting your fears. Keep your personal information safe, be careful about what you share online, and always check if any threatening messages you receive are legitimate. If you fall victim to a scam, report it to the appropriate authorities and take steps to protect your accounts and devices.
Have you encountered a similar scam or any other type of scam? How did you deal with it? Please let us know by email. Cyberguy.com/Contact Us.
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