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The FTC uses the information it gets from people who report scams to keep close watch on trends, so we can alert you to changes. Here’s one: reports of Bitcoin blackmail scams have taken a big jump in the last few weeks. The emails say they hacked into your computer and recorded you visiting adult websites. They threaten to distribute the video to your friends and family within hours, unless you pay into their Bitcoin account. Stop. Don’t pay anything. Delete the message. It’s a scam.

Based on the timing of this spike, you may get one of these messages because your email was exposed in a recent data breach. The scammers may say they have access to your computer or webcam, or installed clever software to defeat you. That’s all talk. But they may really know one of your old – or recent – passwords, and they include it in the message to prove it. When you see that, you know it’s time to update your password on that account, and consider updating other passwords, too.

If you, or someone you know, get a message like this, please report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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The purpose of this blog and its comments section is to inform readers about Federal Trade Commission activity, and share information to help them avoid, report, and recover from fraud, scams, and bad business practices. Your thoughts, ideas, and concerns are welcome, and we encourage comments. But keep in mind, this is a moderated blog. We review all comments before they are posted, and we won’t post comments that don’t comply with our commenting policy. We expect commenters to treat each other and the blog writers with respect.

  • We won’t post off-topic comments, repeated identical comments, or comments that include sales pitches or promotions.
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  • We won’t post threats, defamatory statements, or suggestions or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • We won’t post comments that include personal information, like Social Security numbers, account numbers, home addresses, and email addresses. To file a detailed report about a scam, go to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

We don't edit comments to remove objectionable content, so please ensure that your comment contains none of the above. The comments posted on this blog become part of the public domain. To protect your privacy and the privacy of other people, please do not include personal information. Opinions in comments that appear in this blog belong to the individuals who expressed them. They do not belong to or represent views of the Federal Trade Commission.

DJ
November 09, 2020
Thank goodness. I got one of these emails, and I was honestly really worried. I have my passwords changed and did a quick scan of my phone just to be sure. Glad I'm not the only one having to deal with this.
Al
November 10, 2020
Hi, I have received the same email yesterday with a very old password, I can’t remember what site I used this pass word for and I have tried looking will it matter if it gets left? I haven’t used it in years and it’s not a current password I use now I’m worried because I don’t have a clue what site I used it on
Tam
November 10, 2020
Got an email today trying to blackmail me if I didn't send 2000 bitcoin by tomorrow
adkfan
November 11, 2020
I received a very similar email on 11/2/2020 with an old password and mostly identical language asking for 1051 bitcoin.
JasonMerosa
November 13, 2020
I laughed when I received this email. My camera and mic are disabled in the BIOS, WIFI blocks all porn sites, my FB is empty except for 8 friends, and there's literally nothing you can do with any account that could badly effect me. Change my password? They're just gonna get that too ya know.
Be alert
November 15, 2020
Today I also got the same email! A wake up call to change my passwords regularly
How did things…
November 17, 2020
I received one but it did not say they had my password. Just that I needed to send $700 or they will release a video to my contacts within 50hours. They just say they are a hacker and I've been hacked. No name and the email is just letters and numbers. They say no use to respond because their email is generated. What does that mean? I just need to hear from someone that this is in fact a scam. I just feel like my hacker is a little different from what I'm reading here and it's worrisome.
Fisherman
February 04, 2021

In reply to by How did things…

This sounds close to mine that I got today. I posted the exact message on this thread, hopefully it'll be uploaded soon. Mind had a link though with my name on it that I didn't click. But it was "Fisherman.txt" for instance. I assume nothing happened to you?
Max faith
November 18, 2020
I received an email just like this a couple weeks back. And the subject was an ancient password I've used for a million things I didn't care about. I figured, if he was gonna do something he would have done it already. I'll definitely take some better security measurements in the future and start changing passwords and deleting old accounts.
Ash
November 18, 2020
I received one in Oct and one in Nov 2020. Same amount of money in bitcoin and threat with exposing my video to friends and collegue. I just reported to FTC
Thomas
November 19, 2020
I got one of these and like his spelling was terrible also he said the usual, you've been hack, will send your family porn that you have viewed and the thing is, I don't have any contacts and not have viewed adult websites at all
M A
November 20, 2020
I just received an email from Bitcoin through PayPal stating I had a charge through Bitcoin $499.98. When I called Bitcoin they told me I had charges from TX, WA and OH for charges. They told me I needed to go to a store and purchase a Bitcoin card and give them the receipt number. This was all getting too bizarre and I quickly Goggled what to do and this FTC site showed up. I hung up and called my bank and she told me I was probably the tenth person she had talked to this week about this scam.
Iwanttobeattha…
November 20, 2020
What about video call scamming
phil
November 21, 2020
thanks to everyone who's reported this, I got the exact same email and although I was not taken in entirely, it did cause me some concern. Seeing others report the identical email and say that nothing happened has given me some considerable relief. Thanks to all that have reported this online and confirmed that nothing happens if you ignore it. Changing passwords now though. All the best
KL15
November 22, 2020
Hi. I have also recieved the email. I hope such scammers are dealth with a firm hand.
zamri
November 23, 2020
Hi.can l asking you now company investli lite for bitcoin...l have problems with company take my money 2 time for payment..can help me
10R
November 23, 2020
I had the same email although no password was quoted, wanted 1350 USD paid into "My Bitcoin wallet (BTC): 14X4HmqJKQWCrNY9gthXVyPRa6KZhEkkmT" within 48 hours. Glad others have seen this and it is a scam. I always try typing the key words and "scam" into my search engine to check these things out. Stay safe everyone
Lizzieb
November 23, 2020
I have just received a Bitcoin blackmail scam email demanding $2000. I know it’s a scam. Who do i report it to?
BF-109
November 24, 2020
now what gets me going about this and its really funny is that if they claim to have my email and access to it then why the hell wont they just go to my bank account with my email and do it that way but the reason they cant do it is because they dont have the software built for it nor do they have the software to record or capture in a scammers mindset all they want from you is to reply via the email so they can start with the baiting making you a very vulnerable target to go after again and again
kingdigitalmedia
November 25, 2020
I recently received 3 separate entries in my “contact form” on my website from the name Davidbox Davidbox. They each claimed that my business and reputation were at stake. They said that if I didn’t send them .39 Bitcoin, they would send massive amounts of damaging emails on my behalf to veterans, public figures, etc.
ags
November 25, 2020
I got the same email today morning, i truly freaked out, but then i found this page and all your comments, thank you all for posting your stories, im more calm right now and feeling better. Just to reasure, you haven't got any of your "videos" filtered?
Josh
December 03, 2020
I got it yesterday Hi!  Unfortunately, I have got some bad news for you. Several months ago, I have obtained access to the device you are currently using to browse the internet. Since that time, I have been monitoring your entire internet activity.  Being a regular visitor of adult websites, I can confirm that it is your sole responsibility for any consequences.  To keep it simple, the websites you were visiting have provided me with access to your data.  I’ve uploaded a Trojan horse to the driver system that keeps updating its signature several times per day, in order to make it impossible for antivirus to detect it. Moreover, it provides me with access to your camera and microphone. Likewise, I have backed-up all the data, including photos, social media, chats and contacts.  Just recently, I have come up with an awesome idea to create the video in one part of the screen, which shows the way you cum, while the original video was simultaneously playing on another screen. That was really fun! Rest assured that I can easily send this video to all your contacts with a few clicks of my mouse, and I believe that you would like to prevent this scenario from happening.  With that in mind, here is my proposal:  Transfer the amount equivalent to 1490 USD to my Bitcoin wallet, and I will forget about this whole situation. I guarantee that I will also delete all the data and videos permanently once the payment is received.  In my opinion, this is a so-called modest payment for my hard work.  You can easily figure out how to purchase Bitcoins with help of search engines like Google or Bing, because that it’s not difficult at all. My Bitcoin wallet (BTC): 1Eo9FKmAkNg8UAR4xj6F15Y53phFutzSys You have 48 hours to reply and you should also bear the following in mind:  It makes no sense to reply me — the email address has been generated automatically. It makes no sense to complain either, since the mail as well as my Bitcoin wallet cannot be tracked.  Everything has been organized with precision.  If I ever detect that you mentioned anything about this mail to anyone – the abovementioned video will be immediately shared, and your entire contacts list will be the first to receive it. Afterwards, the video will be posted on the web! P.S. The countdown timer will automatically start once you open this mail. (This program has a built-in timer). Good luck and take it easy! It was just bad luck, so next time please be more careful.
Zbygrl
December 03, 2020
Yup, got that same "you watched porn and we'll send it to everyone is you don't pay us bitcoin" email. Sure buddy.
Anonymous
December 04, 2020
This is what I received Hi! Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you. Several months ago, I got access to the device you are using to browse the internet. Since that time, I have been monitoring your internet activity. Being a regular visitor of adult websites, I can confirm that it is you who is responsible for this. To keep it simple, the websites you visited provided me with access to your data. I've uploaded a Trojan horse on the driver basis that updates its signature several times per day, to make it impossible for antivirus to detect it. Additionally, it gives me access to your camera and microphone. Moreover, I have backed-up all the data, including photos, social media, chats and contacts. Just recently, I came up with an awesome idea to create the video where you cum in one part of the screen, while the video was simultaneously playing on another screen. That was fun! Rest assured that I can easily send this video to all your contacts with a few clicks, and I assume that you would like to prevent this scenario. With that in mind, here is my proposal: Transfer the amount equivalent to 1350 USD to my Bitcoin wallet, and I will forget about the entire thing. I will also delete all data and videos permanently. In my opinion, this is a somewhat modest price for my work. You can figure out how to purchase Bitcoins using search engines like Google or Bing, seeing that it's not very difficult. My Bitcoin wallet (BTC): 1DhJoDAJ9hd2PsqRACxYfHr9yhSkuTiQD1 You have 48 hours to reply and you should also bear the following in mind: It makes no sense to reply me - the address has been generated automatically. It makes no sense to complain either, since the letter along with my Bitcoin wallet cannot be tracked. Everything has been orchestrated precisely. If I ever detect that you mentioned anything about this letter to anyone - the video will be immediately shared, and your contacts will be the first to receive it. Following that, the video will be posted on the web! P.S. The time will start once you open this letter. (This program has a built-in timer and special pixel ID - 1RkxJcJ1+2kS;RuB"<;G Good luck and take it easy! It was just bad luck, next time please be careful.
india
December 04, 2020
I noticed several such emails in my spam. A few months ago I got a virus on my computer, which hijacks my search page to yahoo (from google). I wonder if others here too got infected with a similar virus, and if that is the source of the blackmails.
Petra
December 05, 2020
I also got this mail a couple days ago. I know it's scam but it still kinda shook me. Hi! Unfortunately, I have got some bad news for you. Several months ago, I have obtained access to the device you are currently using to browse the internet. Since that time, I have been monitoring your entire internet activity. Being a regular visitor of adult websites, I can confirm that it is your sole responsibility for any consequences. To keep it simple, the websites you were visiting have provided me with access to your data. I’ve uploaded a Trojan horse to the driver system that keeps updating its signature several times per day, in order to make it impossible for antivirus to detect it. Moreover, it provides me with access to your camera and microphone. Likewise, I have backed-up all the data, including photos, social media, chats and contacts. Just recently, I have come up with an awesome idea to create the video in one part of the screen, which shows the way you cum, while the original video was simultaneously playing on another screen. That was really fun! Rest assured that I can easily send this video to all your contacts with a few clicks of my mouse, and I believe that you would like to prevent this scenario from happening. With that in mind, here is my proposal: Transfer the amount equivalent to 1490 USD to my Bitcoin wallet, and I will forget about this whole situation. I guarantee that I will also delete all the data and videos permanently once the payment is received. In my opinion, this is a so-called modest payment for my hard work. You can easily figure out how to purchase Bitcoins with help of search engines like Google or Bing, because that it’s not difficult at all. My Bitcoin wallet (BTC): 1Eo9FKmAkNg8UAR4xj6F15Y53phFutzSys You have 48 hours to reply and you should also bear the following in mind: It makes no sense to reply me — the email address has been generated automatically. It makes no sense to complain either, since the mail as well as my Bitcoin wallet cannot be tracked. Everything has been organized with precision. If I ever detect that you mentioned anything about this mail to anyone – the abovementioned video will be immediately shared, and your entire contacts list will be the first to receive it. Afterwards, the video will be posted on the web! P.S. The countdown timer will automatically start once you open this mail. (This program has a built-in timer). Good luck and take it easy! It was just bad luck, so next time please be more careful.
almost_got_scammed
December 06, 2020
I just found out that I got this type of email twice 12 days ago (and I did not even know it because it was in my spam folder). The email said that they have footage of me watching porn and their gonna share that footage to 8 of my friends on Facebook if I don't pay up using Bitcoin. I don't even watch porn nor do I use Facebook. But it gave me a scare because the email contains one of the passwords that I use. It's a relief to hear that a lot of people are getting these kinds of email too and how its all just a scam. I don't know how my password was leaked, but this definitely needs to be stop.
Jerry Bell &lt;Bl…
December 06, 2020
Just got an email from a Jerry Bell with the same contents/ modus operandi asking for bitcoin payment $4835. Thank you everyone for the heads up. Appreciate it.
DJVon&#039;t use yo…
December 08, 2020
I got this email too and they're asking for $4000. Lol... I barely 40 in my bank.
Laura
December 11, 2020
I got the same email on Dec 2020
hailz
December 11, 2020
I got one but they didnt mention a password, and they said something about a trojan horse used on my computer... is this the same thing plz help Im freaked out
Deacon
December 12, 2020
What if they actually send a copy of an actual video to you through one of you contact's IM
Don&#039;t use your…
December 13, 2020
received a similar content . D password i hd used few months ago n hd changed it . Wen I read it up i was panicky. How do I report it in india .
kman
December 13, 2020
I received the same email. Unfortunately, the password they know is my most frequently used one. It's there in 127 places. It's almost impossible to go over all the websites and change the password. What if they again find the new password?
Loveall07
February 17, 2021

In reply to by kman

Change your passwords and make sure they are all different. Put them in a safe place
Mikey202
December 13, 2020
I also received the same message today. They had a password to a site I visited once in 5 yrs.
report
December 14, 2020
I got similar email in this morning but little bit different. they didn't show me any password I used and also it is a smartphone not laptop. they just threatened to distribute the video to my friends if I didn't give them Bitcoin. they even sent the black mail to me living in Korea, they seem to be very desperate.
Helpless
December 14, 2020
I received one of these saying they’ve recorded my stuff and want want 700 dollars in bitcoms. You’ve got to be kidding me.
Barnaby cat
December 15, 2020
I got one in spam yesterday with one of the passwords I use. I know it's a scam because 1. I dont visit adult sites and 2. My camera doesn't work. But I could see quite easily how someone could be blackmailed.
Comment
December 15, 2020
I got almoust identical email today. I got scared bit, but I dont use that password for my serious emails and accounts and cant remember when last time I used that password or where. Regardless they are asking for insane amount of money over 2k and ofcource threatening to leake videos of my web cam and supposedly videos of some porn to my friends and family. How I can report this?
a_lex
December 21, 2020
I got this email the other day. It's the same email content you guys have here. I was just freaked out cuz they got one of the pswd I use before and they asked for $2k+ that needs to be paid via bitcoin! LOL I am not dumb to give such amount to stupid messages like this. Good thing it go straight to my spam and Gmail warned me about it.
Dfree99
December 21, 2020
I’m currently being blackmailed with videos of me that I never personally recorded. Help!
Concerned Citizen
December 23, 2020
My father in law (in his 80's) arrived on our doorsteps shaking, because he received this kind of email. It is a good thing he is in good health for this age, otherwise he might have a heart attack even before he ask for help or advise on what to do. The poor man was so terrified that we won't use any electronics to call for help. People who are sending this scam do not deserve any mercy at all!
Steven
December 23, 2020
I got an email like this. Mentions a specific password, but I never used that password. Says things about my webcam got recorded, but it's pretty impossible, as my webcam is always unplugged. They demanded almost 6,000 dollars. So it's a pretty weak attempt to scam/blackmail people. Maybe it would work on old people, or scared, rich teens? I don't know.
anonymousposter
December 23, 2020
I got the same email on sunday, but just saw it today. Thanks to whoever copied and pasted their email on here. Mine was the same except the ransom amount was more. Glad to know its a scam!
Bsgsilf
December 24, 2020
I got this email today. Not too worried about the password part since it’s one google told me was compromised months ago and has already been changed. What scared me, and maybe nobody else has noticed this, but the amount asked for wasn’t a random number. It was the exact amount I had in my bank account on the day the email was sent. But obviously they can’t access it or they wouldn’t have needed to send me the email in the first place.
Dapper
December 26, 2020
Got one of these today. It threatened they had a video of me watching porn and they were going to release it if I didn't pay them something like $3000. The best part? That email has been untouched since I was about 14, so if they did have that video, they would genuinely have CP of me which would cause many more problems for them than it would me.
Was threatened…
December 26, 2020
I got one of these email today. In my spam though but will be changing passwords ASAP
Tweety
December 28, 2020
I got this same email today, the exact same sentences, but asking for $5342 I have not a such password. So its simple.
Sparks
December 28, 2020
I received one of these blackmail emails today from hacker@apple, citing an old password, & demanding 500 euro through bitcoin. It’s unnerving & I will definitely report it.