I've been hacked and I'm been threatened

marialionza

I received an email that went to spam where the person is threatening me if I don't pay him /her in bitcoins. The person has a password of mine that wrote next to my email address.
Can anyone help me here?

One-Eye

See https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=5911814

Many people have received emails like this - it has even been reported in the newspapers.

1) Don't worry
2) Delete the email completely and forget about it.
3) If you still use the password they specified anywhere online, then changed it as soon as possible.

luke2010

Are you talking about the common recent email scam going around about how they are from the darknet they've hacked your mailbox, include a password (which was likely gotten from another site leak/hack) and have video cam footage of you pleasuring stuff amongst other things?

Just report the email and change the password they have included if you still use it anywhere. Consider using two factor authentication on websites that have it.

JamboDP

I have been getting a very similar email for the last couple of weeks the password that they say they have is what I used to use years ago for my email so I felt like replying with F O but just keep deleting it. when I first started comping on the internet I also used same password so I expect they have bought info from some unscrupulous Ba*****. Ignore it marialionza and carry on comping.

philsu

I know it has already been said, it really is something to ignore. Emails can be sent which have a fake email address. I had one a few weeks ago which looked like I had sent it to myself, telling me I had been hacked etc, this was the proof and I should payup within 48 hrs. They quoted a pass word that I use for comps not for my email account. A comp site more than likely has been hacked or someone sold or is using the info who has access to the site. I didn't pay, heard nothing since, computer is fine. Just make sure you use a different password for the important stuff

greedo420

Yes as said above, you can ignore it but if you use that password still for other accounts you should probably change it.


You can check which site was the cause of the leak here, all you have to do is add your email. https://haveibeenpwned.com/


The site that caused emails to be sent to me was Linked in for example.

carriebradshaw

I had the same email but the password they tried to say was mine was one I'd never used in my life.I just reported it and deleted

bertiewhite

How are they threatening you? Have you actually done anything bad embarrassing that they can blackmail you with? If not, ignore.

LeeRits

beenthere_donethat wrote: »

How accurate is the link?

I put an old email address in and one of the sites that apparently caused a leak, was MySpace however, I've never been signed up to MySpace so how could my email address have been compromised through them?

I've been using this site for years. It's completely legit. The information they get is from data breaches and leaks that are published in various places. The site can't verify that the data is completely accurate. It could be that 2 lists have gotten mixed up and your email was obtained from another list and published with the myspace leak. If you read the FAQ on the site they go into more detail about how they operate but its a really handy site. I've setup email alerts so if my email is exposed in a data breach, they email me as soon as they obtain the lists.

edit: OP... like a lot of people have said, ignore it. They got your information from a data breach and are trying to get money out of you thinking you'll panic and send it. There isn't anything they can do. They didn't 'hack your webcam' as they claim. Nothing to worry about

rhialwencomp

beenthere_donethat wrote: »

How accurate is the link?

I put an old email address in and one of the sites that apparently caused a leak, was MySpace however, I've never been signed up to MySpace so how could my email address have been compromised through them?

Some sites used to use a feature where you'd upload your email address book and the site would look for friends using that. I think that myspace was one of them.

So it's possible that one of your contacts did this, and if data was kept then it could have been leaked.

Yarrum84

I had this.

They said I was watching an adult video and that they knew my password which they provided. They said that they had recorded me watching and enjoying the adult video and would share it to everyone I knew because the apparent malware they used also got all of my contacts too.

The password they used was an old one I used to use and was one that was leaked from the tesco hack years ago.

They wants 2000 bit coins.

Imagine that they sent that to someone who just so happened to have been watching some, or a young lad who was confused and watched same se x videos or something, they would be terrified!