Just received a Hacking Threat by email

[Borg]

I tried to get ChatGPT to expand on that with a "but wait, there's more" type of scam. Sadly, it refused. However, I did get it to respond to this prompt:
Create an obviously false scam in the form of "but wait, there's more".

Introducing the "Quantum Magnetic Miracle Bracelet" – But wait, there's more!

Are you tired of feeling out of sync with the universe? Do you yearn for better health, increased energy, and a deeper connection to the cosmos? Well, look no further because we have the ultimate solution for you!

Introducing the "Quantum Magnetic Miracle Bracelet" – a revolutionary breakthrough in pseudo-science and deception. This one-of-a-kind bracelet is embedded with ancient alien technology, specially crafted from moon rocks gathered during a secret NASA mission to a hidden extraterrestrial base.

"But wait, there's more!" When you wear this bracelet, it taps into the mysterious power of quantum mechanics to rebalance your chakras, align your aura, and activate your dormant psychic abilities. Say goodbye to negativity, and hello to a world of endless possibilities!

Not only that, but the "Quantum Magnetic Miracle Bracelet" comes infused with the energy of rare crystals mined from the core of Atlantis (which was conveniently discovered during a deep-sea diving adventure). These crystals amplify the quantum vibrations, ensuring you stay in tune with the cosmic symphony at all times.

"But wait, there's even more!" This miraculous bracelet also emits subliminal frequencies that communicate with your body's cells, encouraging them to regenerate and stay forever youthful. In fact, wearing the "Quantum Magnetic Miracle Bracelet" will make you immune to aging, and you'll never need to worry about wrinkles or grey hair again!

And if you act now, we'll throw in a special "Cosmic Cleansing Crystal" as a bonus gift. This crystal, hailing from a distant galaxy, will magically purify your drinking water, transforming it into the elixir of immortality. Sip this water every day, and you'll become invincible!

"But wait, there's still more!" To prove our dedication to your wellbeing, we'll include an exclusive membership to our "Interstellar Inner Circle." You'll gain access to a private online community where like-minded quantum enthusiasts discuss their experiences with the "Quantum Magnetic Miracle Bracelet" and share their favorite recipes for cosmic smoothies.

And the price for this mind-blowing marvel of a bracelet? A mere $999.99! But don't worry, we offer a no-questions-asked money-back guarantee if you don't experience the cosmic transformation within the first 24 hours of wearing it.

Remember, this offer won't last forever, as we're planning our next mission to collect more moon rocks and replenish the limited supply of this magical bracelet. So act now and join the ranks of the enlightened beings basking in the quantum energy of the "Quantum Magnetic Miracle Bracelet"!

 

[topsquark]

I tried to get ChatGPT to expand on that with a "but wait, there's more" type of scam. Sadly, it refused. However, I did get it to respond to this prompt:
Create an obviously false scam in the form of "but wait, there's more".

You forgot to give a phone number the requisite 7 times, and finish off with "Call now. Operators are standing by."

-Dan

 

[Vanadium 50]

Call now. Operators are standing by.

Call now. Nigerian Princesses are standing by.

 

[jack action]

This is crazy. I have received 2 other variations of this threat (spam folder). Now we are up to 730 $ and 760 $; Damn inflation!

But the worst, one of them has pictures now! A naked dude - pixelized - while doing the nasty is shown to me as an example of what could happen to me!

[...]

There is still a solution to this matter, and here is what you need to do:You make a transaction of $730 to my account(an equivalent in bitcoins, which recorded depending on the exchange rate at the date of funds transfer)hence upon receiving the transfer, I will immediately get rid of all those lustful videos without delay.After that we can make it look like there was nothing happening beforehand.Additionally, I can confirm that all the Trojan software is going to be disabled and erased from all devices that you use.You have nothing to worry about, because I keep my word at all times.

That is indeed a beneficial bargain that comes with a relatively reduced price,taking into consideration that your profile and traffic were under close monitoring during a long time frame.If you are still unclear regarding how to buy and perform transactions with bitcoins - everything is available online.

Below is my bitcoin wallet for your further reference:
1AyLWnrMcToF2vBnsE3SzwirXFhuc4jpUC

All you have is 48 hours and the countdown begins once this email is opened.

For example (it could be you next time):
* If you are unable to see the photos, move this letter to <Inbox> folder or See attachments.

[nasty picture]
[nasty picture]

Good luck!

And then 2 days later I have another one (like I never received the first one). For the first time, they have the same Bitcoin address (5.16 $ already in it).

I imagine these come from wannabe scammers who got scammed themselves by buying a get-rich-quick scheme (an email list with a how-to method), thinking it would be easy money. (I doubt it can work that well, especially when sending so many to the same addresses.) Now the web will be filled with these like the African prince scam from a few years ago.

 

[BWV]

Interesting twist - just got this one, apparently I become an internet pornstar if I dont pay them:

Greetings!

Our AI-powered tools have detected that you are featured in sexually explicit content that was uploaded to our platform.

At our company, we take the security and privacy of our users very seriously, and we use advanced technology to help detect and prevent the distribution of non-consensual intimate images and videos.

While our tools are powerful, we also rely on human oversight to ensure that our platform remains safe and secure for everyone.
If you have approved the upload of this content, you do not need to take any further action. The video will be published to our library within the next seven days, and you will have an opportunity to review the content after the grace period has passed.

However, if you did not approve the upload of this content, we kindly ask that you follow the instructions below to take immediate action.

Our platform boasts an extensive network of websites and partners, which means that ensuring the security of our content is a top priority.

To achieve this, all uploaded content is digitally fingerprinted using both the MediaWise® service from Vobile® and Safeguard, our own proprietary digital fingerprinting software.

This helps to prevent unauthorized distribution of content on our platform.

For our premium users who upload content, we offer monetary incentives. However, in some cases, uploaded content may be put on hold.
If this happens, we can initiate a quick automated removal process, but we would require an incentive refund to do so.

The basic express removal, blocking, and protection against re-uploading of content on our network of 20 websites costs $199 USD.

As a digital company, we take great pride in our integrity and measures, which is why we offer additional options for protecting against unauthorized content uploads 24/7.

We have all our processes automated, including payment processing, for your convenience.

Our Plan A includes everything in the basic removal option, plus digitally fingerprinting of the content and automated removal and protection against re-uploading to our vast network of partner websites (300+) for one year, all for $699 USD.

If you require the best protection available, we recommend our
Plan B, which includes everything in Plan A plus digital protection by MediaWise® and Safeguard based on facial recognition data for three years. This ensures that any content with your biometrics will be blocked, and it costs $1399 USD.

Our system takes care of your request automatically and swiftly, so there's no need to contact us.

The payment process is automated through a Bitcoin gateway, and the digital number you receive below is unique to your case and doesn't require any extra confirmation.

1DzWf1Y9nDKPgmc2em37KRjYePPmWggRce

To transfer the amount corresponding to your chosen option, copy and paste this identifier into your preferred cryptocurrency wallet.You can review the content uploaded after the seven-day grace period, either by checking our Youporn.com library or by contacting the member who uploaded the content.

We encourage users who feature in content and wish to prevent its upload to our platform to consider proactively digitally fingerprinting it.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

 

[.Scott]

Interesting twist - just got this one, apparently I become an internet pornstar if I dont pay them:

Refer them to your agent.

 

[Tom.G]

Refer them to your agent.

Preferably the one from the CIA.

(for those not familiar with our love of abbreviations here in the USA, that's Central Intelligence Agency; the federal agency that investigates foreign security threats)

 

[WWGD]

You'd think too, that if someone was this technically adept to do all the things they claim to have done, that they'd be able to get a good-paying legit job, rather than taking a risk by black-hat hacking. Unless currently in Russia, or similar. Edit: I've received 4-5 similar such emails since my OP. I'm curious to check whether the Bitcoin keys are all the same or not. I assume the same source would keep the same bit coin key.

 

[BWV]

Got another one today, the scammer spoofed my email address, I guess to try to make me think my computer had really been hacked (the IP address was from Turkey and the spam filter caught it)

 

[WWGD]

Got another one today, the scammer spoofed my email address, I guess to try to make me think my computer had really been hacked (the IP address was from Turkey and the spam filter caught it)

Yes, none of my blackmail threats seemed like written by a native speaker.

 

[Klystron]

Howdy, double-double-you-gee-dee. This reads as a scam. I recently cleaned an old but still intact hotmail account that I haven't used in years and have failed to monitor often. Found many such email scams many centered around my Amazon account still retaining the old hotmail address. The scam emails almost exactly match the purportedly legitimate Amazon notices.

I reported the most egregious fakes to Amazon and next day received a call from "Amazon tech support" on my cell. The caller was very slick and professional, obviously native Mandarin speaker from his accent. Mr. Lee explained how vulnerable I am to dox and phishing attacks, explaining how he never asks for specific bank account info. etc., but offering to contact all banks associated with my Amazon account payments.

Red lights finally lit, I noticed his call was from a blocked private number. I managed a few insults while wasting time. Then I called Amazon customer support, a very nice lady with a Mumbai accent found no problems or false orders on my account. These scams mainly involved "confirmation emails" for large items I did not order.

Mr. Lee was very good at what Steve Wozniak called "social engineering" when he was stealing phone time BITD. Expecting contact from Amazon, I almost fell for this slickster who seems to specialize robbing elderly users, gathering data shared by a large team of thieves.

What a shamble these cretins have made of the Internet and, now, online commerce. I agree the English errors and other mistakes in your posts reek of Eastern Europe / Russian speakers.

 

[PeroK]

There's a nasty trick that they try in the UK. They phone you up, and simultaneously request a security code to get sent to your cellphone. When the code pops up on your phone, you might think it proves they are legitimate. But, of course, you should only ever get such a code if you yourself have requested it and it's for you to use directly to authenticate yourself. The text gives a warning to this effect. The scammers try to get the code from you - which would allow them to authenticate themselves as you.

What can be done?

 

[Borg]

This works for email, phone and your doorstep - if you didn't initiate contact, don't give them any information. Ever. Frankly, I don't even bother to read the spam that's been described here so I may have been getting this junk and wouldn't know it. I also don't answer unknown phone numbers.

Another scam being done with today's AI algorithms is when people have been phone-cloned using their social media posts. In one recent incident, a woman got a call from her 'daughter' begging for money for kidnappers. The woman was smart enough to text her actual daughter and learned that the call was fake. The caller had used an algorithm to clone her daughter's voice using her social media posts. The only foolproof defense to this is a safe word that the caller won't know but your family members will know. Even so, it can be extremely unsettling to hear 'your' loved one screaming for help.

 

[DaveC426913]

The caller had used an algorithm to clone her daughter's voice using her social media posts. The only foolproof defense to this is a safe word that the caller won't know but your family members will know.

I've seen 'This is you nephew grampa. Send me money' messages but this seems to take it to a new level.
Safe word is a good step to implement. Thanks.

 

[Nik_2213]

Gone quiet now, but I was getting 3~~6 calls a week from 'Microsoft' about problems with my PC...
Well, yes: This was in those months after that BIG Windows update that broke a zoo of stuff.

I'd usually just listen to the semi-plausible spiel, hang up.
But, finding update had broken Notepad's wrap-function (!!!) 'Set off my Irish'.

I totally monologued that unfortunate would-be scammer, did not allow a word in edge-wise.
Five minutes....
Ten minutes...
Fifteen minutes...
"The Other Caller Has Cleared."

IIRC, it was several weeks before the next call. And, as soon as I mentioned 'Notepad Wrap', they rang off !!!

E-mail whatsits have thinned out of late as my ISP is getting better at stomping them.

'Microsoft' calls have just about stopped. The 'Usual Suspects' now mostly remind me to urgently renew my expired Amazon Prime or Sky accounts. As I have neither, I allow myself a polite head-shake...
--
FWIW, Notepad's wrap only broke at a specific page width. Neither 'US Letter' nor 'EU A4', this happened to match the format my post-middle-aged eyes prefer. The Windows forum did not believe me at first, but my evidence convinced. Still, took the better part of six months to patch...

 

[DaveC426913]

I'd usually just listen to the semi-plausible spiel, hang up.

Yeah, rather than hanging up on them, I like to string them along - waste their time and delay them from scamming the next guy.

"Aw shoot. Now I gotta reboot. Hang on." (five minute pause)

 

[Borg]

Back in the 90's, I remember getting a robocall from some machine. I didn't respond to it but I also decided not to hang up. I could hear the machine try to hang up and then pick up the line again. Unfortunately for it, it did not hang up long enough with me still connected. I decided to just lay the phone on the counter to see how long I could tie up their robodialer. After about six hours of tying up their machine, I finally decided to hang up.

 

[WWGD]

OK, hang on.

You seem to be talking about a bona fide attack (and one that must have succeeded if they could actually do any damage). I think those are relatively rare enough that private individuals will generally never see one.

As far as I understand, what WWGD and most of us receive is totally phishing - a complete and utter bluff there is zero teeth behind it.

I've received around 7 more since this one. I'll check whether the bitcoins referenced in each post are all the same. See if it's the same guy/group. I assume they'd be using just one bitcoin.

 

[.Scott]

My wife just got a call from the television service. But in response to his second question my wife noted to him that he had just stopped speaking in English. He hung up.

 

[jack action]

Human ingenuity at its best, the delivery system has now changed:

I received this email in my junk folder. While taking the screenshot, I was hovering over the "View messages" button and you can see the beginning of the link at the bottom: The usual message is now written as a query to Google translate! ("More information" and "Change" links are the same.)

Probably done this way because spam filters caught up to them but, on the upside, if English wasn't the language of your mark, let the Big Guys help you reach them!

 

[WWGD]

Human ingenuity at its best, the delivery system has now changed:

View attachment 332228

I received this email in my junk folder. While taking the screenshot, I was hovering over the "View messages" button and you can see the beginning of the link at the bottom: The usual message is now written as a query to Google translate! ("More information" and "Change" links are the same.)

View attachment 332230​

Probably done this way because spam filters caught up to them but, on the upside, if English wasn't the language of your mark, let the Big Guys help you reach them!

I've received a few more myself, essentially identical to the one in the OP. I haven't bothered to check if the bitcoins referenced in different messages are the same . I assume they'd have just one bitcoin per scammer.

 

[Motore]

I just flagged them once as spam or phishing and Gmail automatically sends all the similar ones now to spam, so I am not bothered anymore. Which email service do you use? I presume all the popular ones already do this automatically.

 

[WWGD]

Hi, got another one, just wanted to report the bitcoin wallet . I'd like to suggest we keep track of them:
The bitcoin wallet here is:
bc1qnpmkx704fcugzuc727axz9dqqnjf904fz2qq8n.
It's different from the one in the previous email.

 

[Tom.G]

Put that BitCoin address into Google search, then, at the end of the main results,
click the link "repeat the search with the omitted results included."

You get things like "Bitcoin Address Lookup"

Have Fun!
Tom

 

[jack action]

Got another one today. It is a much shorter version but still has the same threats, amount, and bitcoin
address.

The unusual thing is this single paragraph:

If you need 44h just Open the calculator and type +,+

Does anyone know what this refers to? It must be some trick related to a Windows calculator, but I'm using Linux so I can't check if it gives an unusual answer or opens an Easter egg of some sort.

 

[WWGD]

Got another one today. It is a much shorter version but still has the same threats, amount, and bitcoin
address.

The unusual thing is this single paragraph:

Does anyone know what this refers to? It must be some trick related to a Windows calculator, but I'm using Linux so I can't check if it gives an unusual answer or opens an Easter egg of some sort.

Would you mind including the bitcoin key? Just curious as to whether it's one guy, a few guys.
I've thought of depositing just $0.01 in their wallets, a few times. Just to insult them and annoy them.

 

[DrJohn]

Got another one today. It is a much shorter version but still has the same threats, amount, and bitcoin
address.

The unusual thing is this single paragraph:

Does anyone know what this refers to? It must be some trick related to a Windows calculator, but I'm using Linux so I can't check if it gives an unusual answer or opens an Easter egg of some sort.

It gives an answer of 0
Which I suspect is supposed to mean no extra time.

 

[jack action]

Would you mind including the bitcoin key? Just curious as to whether it's one guy, a few guys.
I've thought of depositing just $0.01 in their wallets, a few times. Just to insult them and annoy them.

The email has already been deleted.

I have never seen the same Bitcoin address in those emails. This is normal as a Bitcoin address is meant to be used only for one transaction, even though it can technically be reused. Reusing an address might help identify the owner and a smart hacker wouldn't make that mistake. For more info: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Address_reuse

 

[WWGD]

The email has already been deleted.

I have never seen the same Bitcoin address in those emails. This is normal as a Bitcoin address is meant to be used only for one transaction, even though it can technically be reused. Reusing an address might help identify the owner and a smart hacker wouldn't make that mistake. For more info: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Address_reuse

Ok. I doubt any of these attempts are by smart hacerse. They all use almost the same identical scripts, for one. If they were able to do what they actually claim they're able to do, they'd likely be able to get white hacker or at least legit, high-paying jobs.
Edit: I posted my key in my above post.

 

[JT Smith]

I find the presumption by the hacker(s) that everybody is watching porn videos and masturbating in front of their computers pretty funny. Maybe it's true most of the time? What percentage of men do this??

I also want to note that the screen name "Jack Action" fits that profile.

 

[WWGD]

I find the presumption by the hacker(s) that everybody is watching porn videos and masturbating in front of their computers pretty funny. Maybe it's true most of the time? What percentage of men do this??

I also want to note that the screen name "Jack Action" fits that profile.

Still, masturbating isn't illegal. You'll have the entire 13+ population in prison, no one available to guard them if it was.

 

[jack action]

I also want to note that the screen name "Jack Action" fits that profile.

If hackers use my email based on my screen name they will be deceived as I don't have a camera, so that is how I know, 100% sure, these emails pretending to have pictures/videos of me doing anything are fake.

And if there was a camera they would only find me glutting on poutine and ketchup chips while on PF, like any good Canadian.

 

[WWGD]

If hackers use my email based on my screen name they will be deceived as I don't have a camera, so that is how I know, 100% sure, these emails pretending to have pictures/videos of me doing anything are fake.

And if there was a camera they would only find me glutting on poutine and ketchup chips while on PF, like any good Canadian.

View attachment 334358View attachment 334359​

Poutine on the Ritz, I see.

 

[WWGD]

Yet another one, same content, though this time more brazen.
Rather than using an email (supposedly) randomly-generated within my PC, they used a standard email account:
dcheek@hoflink.com
I'll look into it more carefully.

 

[WWGD]

I've come to suspect that hackers obtained my email address by accessing metadata from pics and other links. Not PF, though. I'm looking for software to prevent it from happening.