Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Sextortion email

77 replies

tazzyb · 09/02/2022 08:21

Has anybody else received a nasty email that knows your name and where you live, that says they have captured you on camera watching porn and threatening to send this to your contacts unless you pay £500 into their bitcoin account. I'm actually freaking out about this.

OP posts:
Sundancerintherain · 09/02/2022 08:21

I've not had it but it has been widely reported as a scam.

SugarBlossomFairy · 09/02/2022 08:22

It's a scam, delete the email and all is well

orangejuicer · 09/02/2022 08:22

It's a scam OP.

T00Ts · 09/02/2022 08:23

Don’t freak out, it’s a totally common scam. They were a horribly clever idea when they first started doing the rounds as people really panicked, but just delete it and move on.

Spudina · 09/02/2022 08:23

I had it at work!! Scam OP.

Dragongirl10 · 09/02/2022 08:23

F off is an appropriate response.

BestKnitterInScotland · 09/02/2022 08:25

@orangejuicer

It's a scam OP.
Which is apparently doing the rounds as there have been posts about it for the last 3 or 4 days running.
AuntyJanet · 09/02/2022 08:26

Scam.

Ignore it.

Original poster
tazzyb · 09/02/2022 08:26

Normally I would just delete and move on but it went to my inbox and they knew my full name and post code and also the spelling and grammar was spot on.
I received it last night. I haven't slept and feel physically sick.

OP posts:
Norgie · 09/02/2022 08:27

Yes, I had it a couple of years ago.
Delete it and go about your day op.

Peridot1 · 09/02/2022 08:28

I had it a few years ago too. And even though I knew I hadn’t done what they said I was still worried! It’s daft. And they are scum.

IsolaPribby · 09/02/2022 08:28

So are you worried that they have actually captured you on camera doing what they say?

KrisAkabusi · 09/02/2022 08:30

It's a well known scam. Ignore it.

Icenii · 09/02/2022 08:30

Paste some of the sentences into Google to set your mind at rest.

The information they have is generally easy to obtain on the Internet.

Thirkettle · 09/02/2022 08:30

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Original poster
tazzyb · 09/02/2022 08:30

I've never heard of such a thing until I received it last night. I've been trying to find ouf if anyone has received the same one but there's nothing online similar to it.

OP posts:
Thirkettle · 09/02/2022 08:31

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

110APiccadilly · 09/02/2022 08:32

It's a scam but your full name, postcode etc has probably been revealed in a data breach/ hack somewhere. Not much you can do about it, and I suppose it's nothing you couldn't find out from a phone directory really. (If they had your bank details, they wouldn't be trying to get money off you via email.)

I had one ages ago and they knew a password of mine. It was an old password that Google told me had been in a data breach, and I'd already changed it. But clearly they'd had it from the data breach. I hadn't been watching porn so knew it must be a scam.

It has made me check passwords regularly though (if they're saved in Google, which I know is a slight risk in itself, you can tell it to check them all for whether they've been involved in any known data breaches).

Original poster
tazzyb · 09/02/2022 08:32

No I've never posted about this before. Any links to similar posts would be much appreciated.

OP posts:
Thirkettle · 09/02/2022 08:32

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

Icenii · 09/02/2022 08:33

Also, all my forward facing cameras on my phone and laptops have a cover. You can buy them on Amazon.

Thirkettle · 09/02/2022 08:34

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

EishetChayil · 09/02/2022 08:39

Guilty conscience, OP? 😂

LizziesTwin · 09/02/2022 08:41

I’ve had lots of these, have deleted them all and there have been no consequences.

AlternativePerspective · 09/02/2022 08:43

@ Thirkettle move on. Op has a posting history going back several years, and while many people don’t fall for it, some clearly do, which Is why it’s a scam that is still out there.

Swipe left for the next trending thread