Warning – new blackmail scam

In the Swedish version of this article is an example of what the email can look like. Most SLU users have received emails in Swedish, but there are also English versions. To summarise, the fraudster claims to have hacked your email account, taken a screen shot of you watching web pages with adult material and is now requesting bitcoins, or they will send the screen shot to all your contacts by email, social media etc.

This is what you should do if you are blackmailed:

• Do not pay!
• Do not reply to the email
• Cover your web camera when you are not using it, e.g. with tape
• Report the incident to your IT support

If you think someone has gotten hold of your password, change it!

Most likely, your email has not been hacked, but the fraudster has found your email address on the web. Faking an email to make it look like it has been sent from the recipient’s address is easy – email addresses are a bit like postcards that way.

Several incidents of this scam have been reported to the police. According to their information, it is impossible to get an idea of how widespread it is, as some people will pay. It is also a tricky crime to investigate.

– It is incredibly difficult for us to find whoever receives the money. Bitcoin transactions are anonymous, and when we trace them all we can find is a ’wallet’ that consists of letters and digits, and identifying the owner of this wallet is impossible. All we can do is warn people so that no-one actually pays any money. Apart from losing your money, paying means you support international crime, explains the police.

SLU will report all scam incidents to the police.