Welcome to our first installment of “Dear Dave”!  Its YOUR opportunity to ask a question, any tech related question and we will do our level best to give you our best advice.  If you want to submit a question, just send me an email to [email protected] and add “Dear Dave” to the subject line.

On to our first question, which is a very serious one …

Dear Dave,

Yesterday I received this email and quite frankly it shook me up a bit.  What should I do?

Worried in Woburn

Hello!

I’m a programmer who cracked your email account and device about half year ago.

You entered a password on one of the insecure site you visited, and I catched it.

Your password from your email on moment of crack: Qwerty1234

Of course you can will change your password, or already made it.

But it doesn’t matter, my rat software update it every time.

Please don’t try to contact me or find me, it is impossible.

Through your e-mail, I uploaded malicious code to your Operation System.

I saved all of your contacts with friends, colleagues, relatives and a complete history of visits to the Internet resources.

Also I installed a rat software on your device and long tome spying for you.

You are not my only victim, I usually lock devices and ask for a ransom.

But I was struck by the sites of intimate content that you very often visit.

I am in shock of your reach fantasies! Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this!

I did not even know that SUCH content could be so exciting!

So, when you had fun on intime sites (you know what I mean!) I made screenshot with using my program from your camera of yours device.

After that, I jointed them to the content of the currently viewed site.

Will be funny when I send these photos to your contacts! And if your relatives see it?

BUT I’m sure you don’t want it. I definitely would not want to …

I will not do this if you pay me a little amount.

I think $8,459 is a nice price for it!

I accept only Bitcoins.

My BTC wallet: 1MRcf4fEFjFjp3DPwxahCW6NmoCADw1jZS

If you have difficulty with this – Ask Google “how to make a payment on a bitcoin wallet”. It’s easy.

After receiving the above amount, all your data will be immediately removed automatically.

My virus will also will be destroy itself from your operating system.

My Trojan have auto alert, after this email is looked, I will be know it!

You have 2 days (48 hours) for make a payment.

If this does not happen – all your contacts will get crazy shots with your dirty life!

And so that you do not obstruct me, your device will be locked (also after 48 hours)

Do not take this frivolously! This is the last warning!

Various security services or antiviruses won’t help you for sure (I have already collected all your data).

Here are the recommendations of a professional:

Antiviruses do not help against modern malicious code. Just do not enter your passwords on unsafe sites!

I hope you will be prudent.

Bye.

Dear Worried,

First off, THIS IS A SCAM!  Do not respond, do not send bitcoin.  We have seen variations of this email, but the theme is still the same – they say they have the ability to control your system and then send out compromising material about you to everyone in your contact list if you dont pay them.  Sadly, people do pay these scam artists.  What should you do besides not pay them?  You should use this as an opportunity to check your security on your systems.  Make sure your security software is up to date.  Make sure your anti-malware is active and up to date.  Make sure you have online backups that have been running to protect against losing files you dont want to risk losing forever.