Blackmail email
Discussion
Sorry if covered elsewhere, search did not reveal anything relevant.
Long story short.
I am getting emails to my work email address - shared on 5 networked PC’s. It is an admin@…….co.uk address,
The incoming emails (appear to be sent) from our own email. They detail how our own address will be used to embarrass us if we do not make a blackmail payment.
Apart from the small office network (cloud based / managed by local IT support firm) no other devices have ever logged onto our work email accounts.
I have copied the blackmail emails to out IT support providers……but in the meantime, has anybody else had this sort of thing? Ignored it? Defeated it?
Perhaps we just need to re set our email account ( outlook ) log ins? Can it be that simple?
Long story short.
I am getting emails to my work email address - shared on 5 networked PC’s. It is an admin@…….co.uk address,
The incoming emails (appear to be sent) from our own email. They detail how our own address will be used to embarrass us if we do not make a blackmail payment.
Apart from the small office network (cloud based / managed by local IT support firm) no other devices have ever logged onto our work email accounts.
I have copied the blackmail emails to out IT support providers……but in the meantime, has anybody else had this sort of thing? Ignored it? Defeated it?
Perhaps we just need to re set our email account ( outlook ) log ins? Can it be that simple?
Spoofing an email address is child's play, it's unlikely your account has been compromised, but if you feel it could have been then you should get professionals to look at it.
https://dylan.tweney.com/2017/10/25/how-to-fake-an...
https://dylan.tweney.com/2017/10/25/how-to-fake-an...
Std stuff. Mark as spam and block sender. Change passwords , update anti virus and malware if not done so already . Clear cache and re-boot.
Report here
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Sleep easy
Report here
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Sleep easy
Zoon said:
Countdown said:
Just curious - how will they use your email address to embarrass you?
I suspect it's along the lines of they will forward videos of the owner masturbating to porn to all contacts in their address book.
Been getting these for years, usually addressed to admin@, sales@, etc…
The format / style changes with current trends, but are usually designed to frighten you that they have intimate, financial or personal details about you that they will exploit should you not pay a ransom.
I’ve just binned them, mark as spam.
The format / style changes with current trends, but are usually designed to frighten you that they have intimate, financial or personal details about you that they will exploit should you not pay a ransom.
I’ve just binned them, mark as spam.
Carsie said:
Std stuff. Mark as spam and block sender. Change passwords , update anti virus and malware if not done so already . Clear cache and re-boot.
Report here
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Sleep easy
This. Report here
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Sleep easy
However, it sounds like you are using the same email account on 5 machines. If this means multiple users are using the same email account, it is not the best way to do it, for a number of reasons, not least security, and the ability to audit your own staff. Best practice would be for each user to have their own account, then set 'Admin' up as a mailbox or alias. Your IT provider should be able to advise.
All done, thank you.
IT chaps say it is a ‘spoofing’ email - the sender does not have the ability to get into our email system, but can try and spoof us with a one time email that seems to be sent by ourselves.
Anyway - the IP address it was sent from has been included with our report. No doubt it will be in Belarus or similar - but we have done what we can.
IT chaps say it is a ‘spoofing’ email - the sender does not have the ability to get into our email system, but can try and spoof us with a one time email that seems to be sent by ourselves.
Anyway - the IP address it was sent from has been included with our report. No doubt it will be in Belarus or similar - but we have done what we can.
Countdown said:
rival38 said:
They detail how our own address will be used to embarrass us if we do not make a blackmail payment.
Just curious - how will they use your email address to embarrass you?Anyway - IT people have sorted it I think, the claim that our email / recipient cache is compromised was not taken seriously by them, this is aparently a ‘spoofing’ scam.
rival38 said:
Anyway - IT people have sorted it I think, the claim that our email / recipient cache is compromised was not taken seriously by them, this is aparently a ‘spoofing’ scam.
You might not be falling for the spoof but maybe one of your colleagues could in the future.
I regularly get spam/spoof emails at home and at work claiming I am visiting pron sites, have been recorded on my webcam masturbating and to send money to their Bitcoin wallet.
Well work block all pron, I have no webcam on my desktop and I think the ladies sitting opposite me would have complained if I Tommy Tanked in front of them.
At home, there is unlimited access to pron but no webcam on my desktop.
They have been getting better with their emails - sometimes including titbits: " I know you live in xxx town".
They get their stuff from sites you've visited that have been compromised:
https://haveibeenpwned.com/
Well work block all pron, I have no webcam on my desktop and I think the ladies sitting opposite me would have complained if I Tommy Tanked in front of them.
At home, there is unlimited access to pron but no webcam on my desktop.
They have been getting better with their emails - sometimes including titbits: " I know you live in xxx town".
They get their stuff from sites you've visited that have been compromised:
https://haveibeenpwned.com/
rival38 said:
All done, thank you.
IT chaps say it is a ‘spoofing’ email - the sender does not have the ability to get into our email system, but can try and spoof us with a one time email that seems to be sent by ourselves.
Anyway - the IP address it was sent from has been included with our report. No doubt it will be in Belarus or similar - but we have done what we can.
Likely to be spoofing but should still be checking for unusual logon or email forwarding activity in case someone has succumbed to a phishing attack. Some of these aren’t immediately obvious but some will be exploited by setting up forwards to third party accounts that then monitor for the right time to try to make some £.IT chaps say it is a ‘spoofing’ email - the sender does not have the ability to get into our email system, but can try and spoof us with a one time email that seems to be sent by ourselves.
Anyway - the IP address it was sent from has been included with our report. No doubt it will be in Belarus or similar - but we have done what we can.
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