UK users of Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook have received a fresh email alert, and ignoring it could result in financial consequences. Action Fraud has recently issued a warning regarding a surge in ‘extortion scams’.
Reports indicate a significant increase in suspicious emails being received in March, jumping from 133 reports in February to 2,924 reports.
These intimidating emails typically allege that hackers have monitored the victim’s computer activity, claiming to possess evidence of visits to adult websites. Some victims are threatened with the release of compromising videos recorded through their webcam during browsing sessions if a ransom is not paid.
In a concerning development, the new scam emails often contain personal details such as authentic passwords and home addresses, likely obtained from previous data breaches.
A victim recounted receiving an extortion email demanding $500. Recognizing it as a scam, he deleted the email but subsequently faced issues accessing his social media and bank accounts, which had been compromised.
Detective Chief Inspector Hayley King emphasized the lengths criminals go to make these scams convincing, including using leaked personal information in phishing emails. Victims are advised to forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and delete them promptly. If personal information is present, it may stem from a historical data breach, and individuals are encouraged to verify if they have been impacted.
Users are urged not to engage with phishing emails and to report them to the provided email address. The presence of legitimate passwords or personal information in such emails indicates potential past data breaches, prompting immediate password changes if currently in use.
