I’ve been hacked

HAL9000

Received an email today telling me my email had been hacked, and had control of my camera, microphone, etc, and that I’d visited adult sites etc and wanting money (bitcoin) sent or compromising emails would be sent to my contacts.

Obviously I’m not paying anyone any money, but wondered if anyone has had similar and if so what you did about it.

The compromised email account is an old one and hardly used, so I presume I can just delete it from our devices. I guess though that there must be a virus of some description on at least one of our devices.

benmurray85

Yep had it and ignored it. In fact I’ve had it a few times, one time the content of the email was scarily accurate so I worried that it was genuine. 

Nothings ever come of any of them though. 

Ignore and move on. 

Kittyfrisk

Why do you assume that there must be a virus of some description on at least one of your devices?
The email that you mention sounds just like one of many typical phishing scam attempts.
Are you certain that you have genuinely been compromised?

DefaultM

Reply with a photo of your anus and tell them to make sure they send that one round as well.

Paul_C

I've had a few of those, but as my PC doesn't have a camera I doubted their story.

guitars4you

Had it before but not for a while - Maybe as I use a Mac more now - Just ignore - Don;t reply or anything - Messages soon stopped coming through 

skullfunkerry

Yep, I've had one of these in the past. Doesn't mean you've got a virus, just means that your email address was on a list somewhere which has been purchased/stolen by scammers, or a random email address generator has got lucky.

As others have said, delete and forget about it.

HAL9000

Kittyfrisk said:

Why do you assume that there must be a virus of some description on at least one of your devices?
The email that you mention sounds just like one of many typical phishing scam attempts.
Are you certain that you have genuinely been compromised?

I assume that there’s a virus since the email received appears to have been sent from myself - so guess that something has access or ability to get inside this account.

I suspect genuinely compromised since Etsy and Vinted (which had never been amended to reflect my current email address) have both been accessed - but not by Mrs9000 or me - earlier today.

Offset

I doubt your account has been compromised.  You'll simply be one of x thousand people receiving the same email from an automated account.  If the wankspanners responsible get 20 responses per week out of that x thousand, they'll consider it job done.

Forget it and buy a guitar instead

dano

Just put some masking tape over the laptop camera before looking at porn and you'll always be free of blackmail from hackers.

Kittyfrisk

HAL9000 said:

Kittyfrisk said:

Why do you assume that there must be a virus of some description on at least one of your devices?
The email that you mention sounds just like one of many typical phishing scam attempts.
Are you certain that you have genuinely been compromised?

I assume that there’s a virus since the email received appears to have been sent from myself - so guess that something has access or ability to get inside this account.

I suspect genuinely compromised since Etsy and Vinted (which had never been amended to reflect my current email address) have both been accessed - but not by Mrs9000 or me - earlier today.

Nah, email addresses can and are frequently spoofed. I have had emails from myself before... bit weird at first, but you get over the initial shock.
Have a look at the full header of the offending email & it can give a better idea of what is going on.
Also visit  https://haveibeenpwned.com  to check out your email addresses. The site is absolutely genuine & I should get paid for recommending them, I do it so frequently 

merlin

dano said:

Just put some masking tape over the laptop camera before looking at porn and you'll always be free of blackmail from hackers.

I don't have my laptop open as I use a different screen that has no camera. And I have received the same email.

It's sent by a bot that sends thousands and thousands every day. Delete it and move on. 

Jono111

Preempt anything by sending compromising photos to all your contacts yourself.

TTony

Kittyfrisk said:

Nah, email addresses can and are frequently spoofed. I have had emails from myself before... bit weird at first, but you get over the initial shock.

It's just this ^^^

Your email address has found its way onto a spammer list or three.  That happens very easily, and there's nothing you can do to prevent it.  There's also no threat to you or anyone else as long as you're aware that it happens and don't trust everything just because it arrives in your inbox.

The spammers generate all sorts of emails.  Some of the spammers are Nigerian princes, some are your ideal ladies, some handle the admin for overseas lotteries, some have hacked your PC, and there are many, many more.

 None are real.  All are just trying to dupe you into sending them money.  It's a simple con.  You've not been hacked.  It's not a virus.  There's nothing clever going on.  Just a simple (attempted) con.

Sporky

I got that and didn't pay. A few days later I started getting fan mail from people admiring my ability to wank over random YouTube suggestions. I've since started an Only Fans account and now make as much as 50p a year.

Ignore it, it's a fib and a scam. 

HAL9000

Thanks all. You’ve set my mind at rest.

thermionic

I’ve had a few of these recently - I only noticed because I occasionally look in the junk folder.

euan

If it was actually sent from your account…it would be in your sent box 

Kurtis

Oldest trick in the ebook. 

HAL9000

euan said:

If it was actually sent from your account…it would be in your sent box 

Ah. Good point. Def not in my sent box.

MrSwanson

I've had these before, one even had one of my old passwords which freaked me out a little. As soon as I realised it was one I hadn't used in years I calmed down and moved on.