"Hacker who cracked your email and device" Sextortion Scam Terrorizes People Using Authentic Passwor

The devious ‘Hacker who cracked your email and device’ Scam has several different shapes and forms, and that is because once one hacker found a way to extort money from users, many others decided to join the party. The backbone of the scam is the actual password of the victim who is targeted. Most likely, hackers behind these scams have obtained files containing email addresses and passwords linked to them.

Unfortunately, because attackers are using actual passwords, the victims believe the bogus information and follow the demands to pay humongous ransoms. In this post, you will find information about the so-called sextortion scam, as well as learn what to do if you are hit with a suspicious email demanding a payment. It is unlikely that you need to remove Hacker who cracked your email and device Scam-related malware, but, just in case, we recommend that you inspect your operating system using a legitimate malware scanner first. If threats are found, delete them ASAP.

What is a sextortion scam?

A sextortion scam is the kind of scam that tries to convince targeted users that a video showing them watching pornographic content has been recorded. This is usually enough to, at least, catch the attention of the targets. Add a legitimate password to the scam, and you have a worried victim on your hands. As we mentioned already, these kinds of scams are powerful because of the real passwords that are used. Whether attackers are using some kind of a data dump leaked during a data breach, or they have purchased private information from third-party attackers, there is no doubt that it is much easier for them to reach their goals using something that victims can recognize.

Even if the attacker behind the ‘Hacker who cracked your email and device’ Scam is displaying an old password that is no longer in use, targeted users could be intimidated. One version of the scam pointed victims to a specific Bitcoin Address – 1JTtwbvmM7ymByxPYCByVYCwasjH49J3Vj. At the time of research, 58 transactions were accepted, and the total amount in the wallet was 5.1 Bitcoin. This was around 18,000 USD.

How does the ‘Hacker who cracked your email and device’ Scam email look like?

As you already know, there are different versions of the scam, but the scam message you might receive should contain very specific information along with threats that are most likely to be empty. One example we reviewed contained the victim’s password and email address in the subject line to attract attention. In the message, the attacker informed that even if the password was updated, alleged “malware” was able to record it anyway. This is nonsense, and you should not believe it.

The message also informed that all contacts and a complete browsing history were recorded and that a video or a photo of the victim watching porn was recorded too. “I am in shock of your fantasies! I've never seen anything like this!” and “There will be laughter when I send these photos to your contacts!” are a few lines from the ‘Hacker who cracked your email and device’ Scam message. The goal behind this message is to push the target into sending a hefty ransom (usually between 800-900 USD) to a specified Bitcoin Wallet. Of course, you do not want to pay anything because there are no records of your browsing history, and no malware will remove itself upon payment.

What now?

It is perfectly understandable if you are in panic. But remember that no video recordings have been made and no photos were taken, and attackers are unlikely to have any other information besides your email address and your password. Due to this, we strongly suggest that you, first and foremost, update your passwords. All accounts linked to the vulnerable password must be secured as soon as possible. Once you take care of that, report the scam message to your email provider so that they could block it.

If you are worried about removing ‘Hacker who cracked your email and device’ Scam-related malware that, allegedly, has been installed onto your computer, use a legitimate malware scanner. We are sure that it will discover nothing. Nonetheless, we do recommend implanting authentic security software to ensure that your operating system is guarded against malware in the future.