Got an email saying your webcam was hacked? Don’t worry — it’s just another sextortion scam. I’ll tell you why it’s all fake and how to stay safe.
Talk to your kids about online predators before it’s too late
This number makes me sick. The FBI says 90% of sexual advances against kids happen in chatrooms or on instant messaging platforms. Now more than ever, it’s important to talk to your kids about online predators.
The thing is these creeps have all kinds of tactics. Today, I’m sharing a few stories you can pass along to your family. If this keeps one person safe, I did my job.
✅ Bait and switch
This past week in Glendale, Arizona, a 37-year-old man asked a 14-year-old girl walking home from school for her phone number. She was clever: She gave him her mom’s number instead.
Later that day, he started texting. The girl’s mother answered, and then the police took over as he requested naked pics and asked her to keep their convo a secret. They set up a meeting, and the pervert was arrested.
Arm them with info. Discuss with your kids how to refuse when a stranger asks for their phone number, email address or social media handle. If they don’t feel safe saying no, tell them to give the requestor your info instead.
✅ To catch a catfish
A 26-year-old used Snapchat and Instagram to groom teen girls. Alexander McCartney pretended to be their age, then he spent a lot of time and energy becoming a close “friend.” Eventually, he’d request explicit images.
Tragically, a 12-year-old victim took her life after McCartney coerced her and her sister into sending him adult photos. Eighteen months later, the victim’s father took his life, as well. Heartbreaking.
McCartney was found guilty of a staggering 185 charges, including online child sexual abuse, blackmail and manslaughter.
Warn your kids about catfishing. Online, it’s easy for predators to pretend to be just about anyone to get what they want. When my son, Ian, was younger (and to this day), I made sure he knew he’d never, ever be in trouble if he told me someone asked him to do something that made him feel uncomfortable or unsafe.
✅ Game over
Ask a tech expert: I'm being sextorted! What should I do?
I can imagine the sinking feeling when you got that email. The good news is these are pretty common scare tactics. So, just ignore the message.
That’s why you always need to have a backup. When you have a copy of your files and important stuff, if someone threatens to destroy them, you can tell ’em to pound sand.
Oh, Snap: A new lawsuit is calling out Snapchat for not doing enough to warn about sextortion schemes targeting kids. Online predators pressure kids into sending explicit images, only to blackmail them later. In 2022 alone, Snap was getting around 10,000 sextortion reports a month. An employee says that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Teenager takes his own life after vicious scam - Talk to your kids now
Scammers are everywhere, and they have no compassion for who they target or the damage it causes. Their evil behavior was again thrust into the limelight as a teen committed suicide after falling victim to a scam.
California resident Ryan Last struck up an online conversation with someone he believed to be a girl. The back-and-forth text messages continued until past midnight on a weekday. By early morning, he had taken his own life.
Sextortion emails are scary and effective - Victims out $8M so far this year
Scammers will do almost anything to get their hands on your personal information. Even though your social media accounts are of high value, photos of you in compromising situations can also yield a big reward for them. This is called sextortion and has been increasing at an alarming rate.
Are scammers using infidelity to manipulate you?
“Your spouse is cheating on you.” That’s the shocking line behind a new sextortion scam. The message includes a link claiming to offer “proof,” but it’s a trap to get you to click. Plus, Gen Z is moving away from Google, and strange science wins big at the Ig Nobel awards.
Big Tech listens to your convos
At least one media group gathers info from conversations and uses it for targeted ads. Plus, a new sextortion scam tactic, Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” tech hits more NFL stadiums, and police are towing Teslas from crime scenes.
Good riddance: An evil 28-year-old woman from Delaware will hopefully spend a long time in prison for her role in a massive sextortion scheme. She and a group of accomplices pretended to be “young, attractive females” and lured young males (including many minors) into video chats. They then recorded the chats and threatened to leak the footage unless they were paid. Talk to your kids and any other guy in your circle.
Blackmail warning: Hackers are sending X-rated emails
Scammers know all the tricks to catch potential victims in their data-stealing traps. Hidden malware, fake advertising, or bogus phishing apps are all part of a cybercriminal’s technological arsenal. But there is one aspect that scammers frequently target: the human mind.
Don’t open this email about a 'Zoom conference call' – it’s a ‘sextortion’ scam
Sextortion is a nasty kind of scam that too many people are unfortunately falling for. Most of the time, scammers are bluffing when they claim to have blackmail over their victims — but that hasn’t stopped them from racking up millions of dollars in stolen funds.
Scammers text threats and photos of your own kids to scare you - Don't fall for it
Phone scams are all about deception — but fear is another tactic that scammers are more than happy to use against you. And if they can frighten you into sharing personal data, you can bet that they’ll push for your money, too.
5 answers to common tech questions, revealed
A woman called her company’s tech support desk, and the technician asked for her password. She replied, “Snow White Cinderella Snoopy Dopey Pinocchio Harry Potter Ariel 5.” The technician said, “That’s a great long password.” The woman replied, “Thank you! I was told my password needs to have seven characters and one number.”
Security alert: 100 million search engine records revealed online
Admit it: All of us have items in our search history that we aren’t proud of. Whether you’re looking up obvious information that everyone should know or gross medical symptoms, there’s a reason we try to keep our search history private from others. It’s our personal business, after all.
Warning: FBI says sextortion scammers are using this scary new tactic
Of all the scams floating around on the web, sextortion scams are some of the scariest to deal with. When a hacker claims to have intimate photos of you and threatens to post them online, it feels like a total violation of your rights. Thankfully, for the most part, these scams are nothing but bluster.
Your top 8 IT questions answered
Do you ever feel stumped when working on your computer during the day? Our computers don’t always behave how we want them to, and finding answers online is often easier said than done.
You can Google anything, but you can’t Google trusted advice. That’s why Kim and the smart IT pros at Komando HQ answer your questions in the Komando Community Tech Forum. Want to try it for yourself? Get 30 days free at getkim.com. After that, it’s a few bucks a month, and there are discounts for military, seniors and service personnel.
Adult streaming website leaks 11 million emails and private chats
Keeping sensitive information secure is getting more difficult by the minute, especially during this pandemic. That’s because cybercriminals are constantly on the attack, adding high tech tools to their arsenal that help them spoof websites, create impressive phishing emails and hack into websites to steal data.
Watch out for this COVID-19 blackmail scam
We’ve seen a lot of COVID-19 related scams appear in the past few weeks. In fact, the issue has become so disruptive that agencies like the FTC and FBI are warning consumers to tread cautiously when checking their emails or answering phone calls.
Don't open this email - it's a cleverly-disguised 'sextortion' scam
Few things are scarier than a direct threat to you and your family. Whether it comes by email, text, or phone call, an extortion message can feel like a disgusting violation of privacy.
But add sexual blackmail to the mix, and all bets are off. If you’ve ever gotten an email from a hacker claiming they’ve got you on tape watching porn, you know exactly how disturbing “sextortion” scams are. Tap or click here to see why they’re back in the news again.
This convincing extortion scam uses coronavirus fears to trick you
The coronavirus pandemic already has many of us on edge. The last thing we need to add to the mix is a bunch of criminals trying to take advantage of this dire situation.
Unfortunately, crooks have no shame and we’ve seen plenty of coronavirus-related scams making the rounds. Tap or click here for 8 tips to avoid them.