Malwarebytes recently received a report about a fresh spate of Bitcoin sextortion scam campaigns doing the rounds. Bitcoin sextortion scams tend to email you to say they’ve videoed you on your webcam performing sexual acts in private, and ask you to pay them amount in Bitcoin to keep the video (which doesn’t exist) private. This type of blackmail has become quite popular since the … [Read more...]
What to do when you receive an extortion e-mail
In the last few weeks, there has been an upswing in people receiving threatening, extortion e-mail messages, demanding payment to avoid release of sensitive information. Most of the time, these e-mails are what we call “sextortion” e-mails, as they claim that malware on your computer has captured embarrassing photos of you through the webcam, but there can be other variants on the same … [Read more...]
The lucrative business of Bitcoin sextortion scams
After a quiet period following a surge in late 2018 to early 2019, the online blackmail scheme known as sextortion scams are back on the radar and on the uptick. According to a report from Digital Shadows, a leading UK-based cybersecurity company that monitors potential threats against businesses, there are several resources available to embolden novice criminals to a life of extortion. These … [Read more...]
A week in security (April 8 – 14)
Last week on Labs, we said hello to Baldr, a new stealer on the market, we wondered who is managing the security of medical management apps, discussed the different perceptions of personal information, and we looked at fake Instagram assistance apps found on Google Play that are stealing passwords. Other cybersecurity news German pharmaceuticals giant Bayer says it has been hit by malware, … [Read more...]