Hundreds of Australians have been targeted by criminals who claim to have hacked into their computers and accessed “compromised” images and videos of them.
The scammer then threatens to reveal the images or videos to friends and family if they do not pay them a certain amount in cryptocurrency to a specific address.
However, the government organization Scamwatch said there is no evidence that the scammer hacked the person’s computer or webcam.
The criminal may attempt to convince the person to send money by providing the recipients’ personal data, including dates of birth and home addresses, which were likely accessed through previous public data breaches.
ACCC deputy director Catriona Lowe said while Australians should always be on the lookout for scams, “people should be especially alert to this emerging trend”.
“The fictitious threats in these emails combined with the inclusion of people’s personal details are intended to terrify the individual who reads them,” Ms Lowe said.
“It is extortion and it is a crime.”
The National Anti-Scam Center is working with authorities and IDCARE to stop the scam and offer support to victims.
Scamwatch has received hundreds of reports from Australians who have been attacked by criminals who claim to have hacked the person’s computer. stock image
The scammer will threaten to reveal the images or videos to friends and family if they do not pay them a certain amount in cryptocurrency to a specific address. Scam Text Example
If a person has received a suspicious email, they are urged to ignore or delete it, and never give money or personal information to the scammer.
If a scammer has taken a person’s money or personal details, immediately contact the bank or card provider, report the scam and ask them to stop any transactions.
Lowe urged people to “be aware that the recent volume of reporting about this scam suggests this is a large-scale campaign.”
Anyone who has encountered this scam is encouraged to report it to Scamwatch.