Spam emails come in many guises, and you often find one that “does the rounds” for a while and then something else comes along to replace it.
There is one email, at the moment, that is particularly nasty. It also adds an air of authenticity by listing a password you may use or have used in the past.
It is usually a poorly written email that claims to have hacked your computer, got all your data or contacts details, knows you have been looking at porn etc. etc. If you don’t pay them some money, they will let everyone know what you are up to or delete your data or whatever.
The wording is often very threating and nasty to attempt to scare you and then, to top it all, it lists a password of yours. And it’s a password you know. So everything listed in the email must be true, right?
Of course, it isn’t.
But they do know a password of yours. So how did the scammers get it if not through the means listed on the email?
Dark Web
It would actually come from a hack of a company you had dealings with some time in the past. That data would then be sold or posted online, and these idiots can then use that data to create this rubbish. They haven’t hacked you, they have just used some old information to make the email sound more authentic.
If you do receive one of these emails, ignore what it says. However, if you do still use the password mentioned for anything, then it would be advisable to change it to something else.
Password Control
It also makes us acutely aware that we should use a different password for different things. It is a pain, but please consider it. You can always write them down. Many people baulk at that suggestion but, as long as you keep them in a book somewhere safe, it is one of the best methods there is. Who will find it except maybe a burglar? It’s better than a hacker from anywhere in the world getting into your various accounts because you’ve used the same password!
Password managers are also an excellent way of doing it with the added convenience of being available on the device you are using. They do require a bit more work than a book but are worth it once set up and understood. If you are interested in that and need some help, then please contact me.
Bit-What?
This email could scare us into paying, but it falls over in one big area. It wants us to pay the scammer by BitCoin. Does anyone know how to pay by Bitcoin? I certainly don’t!
Any questions on any of the above – or anything else – just get in touch.