Parallel to the efforts of security companies, attackers also manage to reach our devices in more original ways. There are also other methods that have been used for years and apparently are still effective, since victims keep turning up. In this case we are going to talk about a scam that has just arrived in our country and of which we should be especially careful.
We tell you all this because a new campaign has recently been detected that focuses on the arrival of a series of fraudulent emails. Keep in mind that the main objective of all this is extort victims to pay. Specifically, a certain amount of bitcoins is requested, all under the threat that our device and its stored data have been accessed. Therefore, if you do not pay the amount of bitcoins requested by the cybercriminal, that information will be made public online.
Keep in mind that this is a fraudulent mail that we can receive any of us, so we must keep an eye out. Obviously, under no circumstances should we consider the possibility of paying the ransom for the exposed threat. It is true that this type of scam has been with us for many years. But if they continue to occur, it is for a reason, specifically because there are affected users who end up paying the requested ransom.
What do I do if I receive the scam email?
It is worth mentioning that the subject that we are going to find in this fraudulent email is usually something like I got access to your device. There have also been cases in which the message is Dear User, I have important news to give you, although there may be other similar variants. Also, you have to know that the body of the message is in English without mistakes, but with grammatical errors. This basically tells us that the goal has been achieved. full access to equipmentall through a spyware.
It also tells us that they have been monitoring and saving all our movements on the computer. This includes elements such as the microphone, the keyboard or the webcam. Thus, in theory they have obtained sensitive information from the victim such as passwordsPhotos, videos and personal information of all kinds. All this will be made public in the event that we do not pay the ransom in bitcoin that they request from us. That payment, says the mail, must be carried out within a maximum period of 48 hours.
However, if you receive this email, it is nothing more than a scam attempt. You should know that your mobile or desktop computer has not been infected and they do not have personal or compromising files in their possession. Of course, it will not hurt to scan the equipment to eliminate any trace of malware. Likewise, if you see a password used on the Internet in the email, change it as soon as possible. Finally, if you have already paid the requested amount of bitcoins, the best thing you can do is file a report with all the evidence you can collect.
