By threatening to release sexually explicit files, a malicious act known internationally as “sextortion,” cybercriminals are extracting bitcoins from their victims. In many cases, the perpetrators threaten to send fictitious personal “material” to the victims’ contacts if they do not receive the corresponding payment. Among the perpetrators’ victims are no longer only individual internet users…but also companies.
The real estate company RE/MAX Independent Properties recently fell victim to such a scam, and is now encouraging its employees and victims of similar scams to report such acts.
It all started when an employee of RE/MAX Independent Properties received a threatening email from a group of cybercriminals calling themselves “Better Pay SA.” In the email, sent from a traceable email address, a user named “Faraji” falsely claims to be acting on behalf of a disgruntled Potgieter client and threatens to destroy the company’s reputation with a “sextortion” campaign unless he pays USD 10,000 in cryptocurrency.
A quick Google search reveals that this type of attack has been targeting Internet users around the world since 2017. In Potgieter's case, threatening messages were received stating that pornographic images would be distributed, with her face photoshopped into nude photos, and that her PC passwords would be made public, allowing attackers to access her computer, files, camera, browsing history, and other sensitive personal information. The criminals also reported having access to videos of the victims browsing pornographic sites.
If you receive a similar email, don't panic. Most of the time, the scammers don't have access to your computer. At most, they might have an old password, says Chris Boyd, lead analyst at Intelligence Malware. If that's the case, change your passwords, especially if you share the same password across different platforms. If you're able to, report these emails before deleting them, and definitely don't give the criminals a cent.
