El Loro posted:I think the scammers got hold of very old passwords on hotmail and outlook email accounts and sent the scam emails hoping to con people. The password it mentioned in the email sent to me would have been many many years ago and I'd changed it many times since.
I’ve had the Spotify scam....and an Apple scam in the last week ....and I used to be on outlook decades ago ....so you might be right El 
....needless to say they are on a hiding to nothing with me 
At long last action has been taken against those fake Microsoft support phone calls we've been pestered with:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-46357007
Microsoft estimate that fraudsters make £1.2 billion a year from these calls.
The polis were at the door the next day after I said goodnite.
June I think.
It's your IP.
A similar scam email to the one Saint had in his opening post is circulating at present. I received this the other day. Anyone getting a similar post should delete it and ignore the threat.
"Hello!
I am a hacker who has access to your operating system.
I also have full access to your account.
I've been watching you for a few months now.
The fact is that you were infected with malware through an adult site that you visited.
If you are not familiar with this, I will explain.
Trojan Virus gives me full access and control over a computer or other device.
This means that I can see everything on your screen, turn on the camera and microphone, but you do not know about it.
I also have access to all your contacts and all your correspondence.
Why your antivirus did not detect malware?
Answer: My malware uses the driver, I update its signatures every 4 hours so that your antivirus is silent.
I made a video showing how you satisfy yourself in the left half of the screen, and in the right half you see the video that you watched.
With one click of the mouse, I can send this video to all your emails and contacts on social networks.
I can also post access to all your e-mail correspondence and messengers that you use.
If you want to prevent this,
transfer the amount of $500 to my bitcoin address (if you do not know how to do this, write to Google: "Buy Bitcoin").
My bitcoin address (BTC Wallet) is: (I've excluded the address)
After receiving the payment, I will delete the video and you will never hear me again.
I give you 50 hours (more than 2 days) to pay.
I have a notice reading this letter, and the timer will work when you see this letter.
Filing a complaint somewhere does not make sense because this email cannot be tracked like my bitcoin address.
I do not make any mistakes.
If I find that you have shared this message with someone else, the video will be immediately distributed.
Best regards!"
Yep, nice to know the system works!
Eugene's Lair posted:Saint posted:Well as they know part of an old pass word I alerted my e mail provider just to be sure
I think that's wise.
I'm no expert, but I suspect he may have access to info from previous hacks. If you've changed your passwords (as you have), I'd think you'll be OK.
Still, I would recommend:
Make sure you're backed-up;
Make sure your antivirus protection is up to date;
Do a malware scan on your AV, and ideally also on a specialized product such as Malwarebytes.
I'm sure other FMs like El Loro can help more.
Saint ^ this.
I have had the very same email. I laughed, because I do not have a webcam, so they would be supremely clever to have captured my intimate moments!!
As Eugene has said, they will have picked up your old passwords and email details from compromised password lists held by legitimate companies who have had their database knicked! Think companies like Facebook. I also had them present parts of my real passwords, but I knew I had changed them.
They also spoof emails from friends as well, saying Hey! EC! look what I have just been sent, featuring you!!!! 
. There is usually a link, by clicking the link they then know that someone is using the email address and also they may install real trojans/viruses onto your computer/device when you click the link - DON'T CLICK THE LINK.
When you change password, do it on a computer/device you know is clean. I use the works computer as I know they run anti virus and are behind a firewall and also a DMZ.
One thing I always do is to completely reinstall the O/S on my computers once a year, formatting the HD before. I then reinstall just the apps I need. It's like an MOT for the computer. 
Keep your virus software up to date along with any software update from Microsoft/Android/Apple/ etc...
Back up regularly
Back up regularly
Back up regularly
Got that!
Back up regularly
Today ...as if by magic
The details of more than 4,500 people were published on the website of a new parking app.
The discovery on the corporate section of the JustPark system was made by a Belfast business owner.
Names, email addresses, mobile numbers, car makes and registrations from across the UK were all made available.
JustPark, which took over the running of the Department for Infrastructure's parking app last month, has since amended the glitch.
The information was on the section of the website where the business which made the discovery registered and paid for parking.
The amount businesses were paying and their parking history was also available to see.
The issues was raised by Barry Hamilton, the owner of cleaning service Until It's Done.
He told BBC News NI he "couldn't believe how easy it was" to access the information.
"We were also seeing some of the companies weren't here in Northern Ireland, so it's not just a Northern Ireland issue, this is potentially something for the whole of the UK," he said.
Those fake emails from friends and contacts do seem to be from those who use yahoo email. If you look at the email address of the sender it tends to be the real address up to @ but then different from the @ in place of yahoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494
All 3 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked back in 2013 so the hackers got everyone's email address but not their log in details.
El Loro posted:Those fake emails from friends and contacts do seem to be from those who use yahoo email. If you look at the email address of the sender it tends to be the real address up to @ but then different from the @ in place of yahoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494All 3 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked back in 2013 so the hackers got everyone's email address but not their log in details.
Yes, I had a yahoo account many years ago , so I’m guessing that’s where mine are coming from . I’ve not used it in years ....not since I started using Apple ....and I don’t even know what the password is any more
Baz posted:El Loro posted:Those fake emails from friends and contacts do seem to be from those who use yahoo email. If you look at the email address of the sender it tends to be the real address up to @ but then different from the @ in place of yahoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494All 3 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked back in 2013 so the hackers got everyone's email address but not their log in details.
Yes, I had a yahoo account many years ago , so I’m guessing that’s where mine are coming from . I’ve not used it in years ....not since I started using Apple ....and I don’t even know what the password is any more
I was referring to emails received from people with Yahoo accounts. It might be that you get more having had a Yahoo account in the past. I do get some of these fake emails but have never had a Yahoo account. The ones I get are from people with Yahoo accounts.
El Loro posted:Baz posted:El Loro posted:Those fake emails from friends and contacts do seem to be from those who use yahoo email. If you look at the email address of the sender it tends to be the real address up to @ but then different from the @ in place of yahoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494All 3 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked back in 2013 so the hackers got everyone's email address but not their log in details.
Yes, I had a yahoo account many years ago , so I’m guessing that’s where mine are coming from . I’ve not used it in years ....not since I started using Apple ....and I don’t even know what the password is any more
I was referring to emails received from people with Yahoo accounts. It might be that you get more having had a Yahoo account in the past. I do get some of these fake emails but have never had a Yahoo account. The ones I get are from people with Yahoo accounts.
I think it’s probably my old yahoo contacts list that they are working from El ....but I could be wrong ....I frequently am
El Loro posted:Those fake emails from friends and contacts do seem to be from those who use yahoo email. If you look at the email address of the sender it tends to be the real address up to @ but then different from the @ in place of yahoo.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41493494All 3 billion Yahoo accounts were hacked back in 2013 so the hackers got everyone's email address but not their log in details.
Thanks for that insight, EL.
I hadn't had a fake email for a little while, and then - like you - got one a couple of days ago. I didn't initially think too much about it, but I've just checked and it is indeed impersonating a friend's yahoo address...
FWIW, the "real" second part of the address appears to be from Russia (though who really knows?)
