I was looking through my email inbox and saw a message from a very familiar address—mine. My first thought when I saw the email was that someone was spoofing my address, so I looked closer. But the closer I looked, the more it appeared someone had hacked my email. With that, I went into research mode, and discovered a clever twist in an email extortion scam.
What an extortion email scam looks like
The email sent by the scammer is friendly and almost apologetic, but not so apologetic that they don’t want money. And usually, it’s a lot. Here’s a sample of how those emails read, courtesy of TrendMicro.
“Unfortunately, there are some bad news for you. Around several months ago I have obtained access to your devices that you were using to browse internet. Subsequently, I have proceeded with tracking down internet activities of yours…”
The email is a blend of techno-jargon and vague details about what you’ve been doing on the Internet, how the sender has access to your computer, etc. If you read carefully, though, you’ll hear the subtle sounds of old-timey fortune tellers. “I see trouble in your past…” Rather than being tempted to automatically respond with a tidbit that could give the fortune teller their next line, look closely at what’s not included.
The sender claims to have ‘control of all your devices.’ A bold claim from someone who hasn’t actually used that access. If the sender really did have access, why not simply take the money instead of asking for it?
Tips to avoid becoming a victim
Tip #1: Here’s where the magician comes in. I don’t think I’m breaking any magician’s code by saying that the magician doesn’t really cut his pretty assistant in half. I know. Right? Almost as improbable is the idea that someone really got access to your email account (assuming you have a decent password and haven’t shared it, of course). Just like the magician, that email involves nothing more than a little sleight of hand.
Tip #2: The fortune teller works their mark by using the feedback from the mark they’re working. Facial expressions, words, even breathing patterns can give away a lot. Email scammers don’t have the benefit of those clues, but they’re limited by the same rule as the fortune teller. When there’s no feedback, everything ends. Simply put, don’t respond. Don’t click any links. And definitely, don’t send money.
Tip #3: This is big business. It all works based on volume. In 2021 alone, losses from this type of scam exceeded $8 million according to the FBI. Hence, the emails keep coming and just enough people fall victim to make it all worthwhile. If you do suffer a loss from this type of scam, report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov).
If you have a suggestion for a future scam tip or would like to share your experience with a scammer, leave a comment. I’d love to hear from you. And while you’re here, why not check out last month’s tip, How do you outsmart a romance scammer?.
