Email says I’ve been hacked and asks for crypto

Hello. I received an alarming email that had a pdf attached. The email was from a standard Gmail account, so I wasn’t suspicious. When I opened the pdf it was a letter stating this person had hacked my phone and was using it as a remote device or something. It said he had activated the camera and recorded me. He said he also had access to my social media and contact and would upload embarrassing pics/videos if I didn’t send crypto currency. He also listed my name, address, and phone number. I was unfortunately part of the AT&T data breach earlier in the year. My question is, could he have done what he said? Am I at risk there?

iPhone 13 Pro, iOS 17

Posted on Sep 17, 2024 06:23 AM

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Posted on Sep 17, 2024 06:47 AM

Ir is absolutely a scam and they do not have any information on you and do not have access to your computer. You can also report the gmail account to Google.

https://support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse?hl=en


There is no identification needed for a user to create a gmail account so a scammer can use it without any chance of being caught. Google may take action by closing the account, but it won't stop them from creating another one.


You can also block the email address, but obviously that will not help if they use a different one. All you really need to do is delete the email and ignore it. Obviously do not click any links or provide them with any information. Clicking a link will let the scammer know that they have reach a person that may be susceptible to further phishing scams.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Sep 17, 2024 06:47 AM in response to billylance7

Ir is absolutely a scam and they do not have any information on you and do not have access to your computer. You can also report the gmail account to Google.

https://support.google.com/mail/contact/abuse?hl=en


There is no identification needed for a user to create a gmail account so a scammer can use it without any chance of being caught. Google may take action by closing the account, but it won't stop them from creating another one.


You can also block the email address, but obviously that will not help if they use a different one. All you really need to do is delete the email and ignore it. Obviously do not click any links or provide them with any information. Clicking a link will let the scammer know that they have reach a person that may be susceptible to further phishing scams.

Sep 17, 2024 06:35 AM in response to billylance7

Sounds like a sextortion scam. The U.K. Government's advice is to avoid contact with the criminal – and to change any passwords mentioned in the e-mail.


U.K. National Cyber Security Centre – Sextortion phishing scams: How to protect yourself


"A sextortion scam is when a criminal attempts to blackmail someone, usually by email. The criminal will claim they have login details or video of the victim visiting an adult website, and will threaten to disclose this unless the victim pays a ransom (often in Bitcoin).


The criminals behind these attacks do not know if you have a webcam, or know if you've visited adult websites. They are attempting to scare their victims into paying a ransom, and will send millions of emails in the hope that someone will pay."

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Email says I’ve been hacked and asks for crypto

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