Email from random saying they know my password AND THEY DO. What next?!

[Reastie]

I’ve just had an email (unopened, just say the notification) saying they know my password and then wrote it and it is one of the old passwords I used to use. Presumably they have hacked into a site somewhere where I used it as a password. It’s no longer a password for any banking or money or email or work sites but may be log in for older shopping accounts etc I have set up before arranging a more fail safe individual password for each site with cloud chain.

The notification then said Andrew I have seen you through your webcam watch xxx porn...’ and then the notification stopped and I haven’t clicked on the email.

This isn’t the case because I’m the only one who uses my phone and iPad where I’m logged into email and I haven’t done this. Presumably they’re trying to scare someone that they have footage of them watching porn (which I have no fear of as it’s not happened). The password thing does scare me though. Should I be worried? Should I delete without reading? Is there anything I should do to secure myself more than I am?

It's a very common scam. I had loads of them a couple of years ago then one out of the blue yesterday. All used the same long-since changed password. Delete.

Sounds like some sad case copying that Black Mirror episode!

I'm not the most tech savvy, but I'd be careful to change all passwords and not use that one again. Perhaps get some security installed on your computer.

I had this too. They had one email from a site I no longer used, but I changed it anyway, and they also said about a having a video of my via my webcam, which was stupid as I didn't have one.

Delete and block, but you will get a few more (designed to scare you) from a slightly different email address. Just keep blocking and deleting.

I had exactly the same. I deleted the email and didn't give it a second thought.

The only people who must fall for this are the people wanking themselves to porn in front of a webcam

Even if you did do that, unless you were watching something illegal, you really don’t have much to worry about as a webcam really can’t pick up much below a table top anyway

It’s a rediculous scam.

Ignore

I have a MacBook and Apple Care recommended Malwarebytes for anti-virus checking software.

I just have the 'basic' version.

I just got this email myself, literally hit my inbox 4 minutes ago, asking me for $4950 dollars not to disclose my activity on a porn site...yeah OK..blocked, they had a password of mine I used 4 years ago so not worried.

A question for those saying change passwords - how would you even begin to know how many sites this would be for? I should think the list of sites I have a login for now runs into the dozens, from online banking and Amazon, right down to a company I ordered something from once 10 years ago...

I had a browser-locking ransomware virus before, it was horrible, and it had actually attempted to take a photo through the webcam, but thankfully I had painted over it (never use them.) Said it was Interpol.

Similar to this email, it said I had either been watching porn, illegally downloading music or downloading you know what. Wanted a couple of grand to unlock my browser, specifically paid onto some kind of card you can buy at a petrol station If I didn't comply, they'd track me down in 72hours and I'd face 10 years in prison.

Because I'm really sure Interpol are into blackmailing.

I had the same thing, they knew an old password, reported it for phishing. Also I don't watch porn so they have nothing on me! Boots the chemist recently contacted me saying my account was one of the ones that had been accessed, think it was the old password for that with my email address. When hackers hack company databases this is what they do with it.

Sorry, was out looking after dd and what a lot of replies!

How do you even change all your passwords?! There must be so many for so many different sites over the years I’ve bought things from or whatever. Some of which may have the password they have told me.

I now use unique passwords for everything I set up and will be looking up antivirus scan.

Thanks for the info, it just scared me a bit that they had my password right!

Thanks also for the antivirus stuff, I’m going to look at getting one because I never thought I needed it.

@Alialialiali ok, ok, you got me 😂😂😂

How do I do a virus scan on an iPad and iPhone? [.useless]

This is a common scam. It's due to a password account leak from a very old Web site (I think it was MySpace). Change your password at any sites where you used the same password.

Well I got the same email last night too. It did spook me a bit, as the password was part of what I use for some websites, but nothing like banking or anything personal. It demanded $1900 in Bitcoin and threatened me with all the porn stuff. My husband reassured me that it was crap, so I deleted it. They must have been busy last night by the sounds of it!

Just a password leak. As long as you’re not using that password any more just delete!

Like everyone else has said this is a well known scam that's been going for ages.

Personally I'd only change my passwords for emails, bank accounts and anything that your bank cards are linked to. They don't care about random websites (that's assuming you don't use the same password everywhere)

just a thought the password they quoted I used on MN a few years ago, is it a coincidence all of us are getting this

I got this last night too, but it was an old password, going back at least 5 years and before I was on MN. I'll change all my passwords though, just in case.

My partner just one today! Old password again

I had it months ago. I just ignored it

I got it today too!

I've just had an email to but it's a very old password I obvs havent used for 14 years as my age is on the end of the phrase and have no idea what account it would belong to as I no longer use that phrase and havent done for well, I imagine 14 years, maybe my space?

I got this too last night! The password bit freaked me out a bit but, thinking about it, it’s an old one. Possibly from the MN hack a few years back

Weirdly, I deleted it straight away but it’s now completely vanished from even my trash section. Is this due to the antivirus stuff I installed - I know nothing about these things and it’s made me edgy about what can be accessed

@JemimaPyjamas

Be aware that you may get more, I did...they all had a very slightly different email address, so say [email protected] (not a real email address) compared to [email protected] or [email protected] and so on. so subtle that unless actually compared them (which you don't, because you block them asap) you wouldn't see. I kept three, and they all had different addresses, similar to above.