Extortion Via Google

Bowser

Bowser

Namaste
Valued Senior Member
So someone I know received an email that threatened to publish his browsing history if he doesn't cough up $700.00 in bitcoin. Apparently they hacked into his Google account. This is exactly why I don't use Google or Chrome, because they do store information.

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I get 2-3 emails threatening this every single day. Seriously, I've deleted at least a hundred of these exact emails just in the last six weeks.

It's a scam.
 
Bowser said:
Yes. The closest I approach Google is through YouTube. I still have an inactive email account.
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Dave is right of course. It's a bluff, trading on fear induced by the recent data scandals with Faecebook etc. It should be sent straight to the trash without opening any attachments.

I have not had that one, yet, but I've had countless scam mails - and phone calls, from pre-recorded messages or people with an Indian or Filipino accent - telling me my account is suspended or that either my computer or my router is infected with viruses.

Him: "Excuse me Sir but you are having a wirus on your Vindows computer". etc

Me. "Ballocks. Sod off."
 
They sent him an email from within his account, so it's certain they have been in his account.
 
Bowser said:
They sent him an email from within his account, so it's certain they have been in his account.
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No there is a big difference between hacking an email account, which is a frequent occurrence - has happened to several friends of mine - and hacking into your computer records (or Google's) of your browsing history. It proves nothing. - they are out to scare "your friend" into coughing up, that's all. Here's an article on email hacking: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/03/what-to-do-email-hacked-how-to-prevent

Nothing to do with accessing browsing history, for which a lot more IT skill would be needed, plus access to the computer itself, not just the email account.
 
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Once, when I was on a public computer, a screen popped up purporting to be the Canadian Police Service (an organization which to the best of my knowledge does not exist). It said that I had been caught doing "one of the following: computer fraud, etc. etc. etc." It said that my computer had been locked and would stay locked until I paid a $500 fine by PayPal. The computer was in fact "locked" to some extent: keyboard and mouse did nothing, Ctrl+Alt+Delete did nothing. So I pressed the Reset button and everything went back to normal. That was several years ago and the Canadian Police Service hasn't caught up with me yet.

I also get occasional phone calls warning me about a problem with my credit card account. (I don't have a credit card.)
 
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Yes, Bowser: you should be sure to stay on top of the latest scams. Avoiding things is not the best method, as they will catch up to you eventually, and you won't be on alert for them if you don't see the coming.
 
Bowser said:
So someone I know received an email that threatened to publish his browsing history if he doesn't cough up $700.00 in bitcoin. Apparently they hacked into his Google account. This is exactly why I don't use Google or Chrome, because they do store information.
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Google isn't so much a web-browser (or cell-phone operating system, or online video) company as they are a private domestic intelligence agency.

I use a Chromebook, and am fully aware that it reports everything I do to Google, where it is stored. All the searches I do, all the webpages I look at, all of my downloads. It's pretty boring in my case, but I'm fully aware that I'm being watched all the time I'm online.

It's technically illegal for the US government to surveil Americans' communications without a suitable court order. But foreign intelligence agencies can do it with impunity and I understand that the American spooks routinely ask Britain's GCHQ to intercept Americans' communications. Similarly, Canadian spooks ask the American NSA to listen in on Canadians. Everyone does it to each other so as to circumvent each country's privacy laws.

Things like Google just add a new wrinkle to that. Being private means they don't need any stinkin' court order to surveil people and build up dossiers on them. Then the police agencies can tap into that and add your web-browsing history, your e-mails and more to everything they already have on you (your taxes, your criminal and driving records, vehicle registrations, real estate ownership records, etc). Which means that all they have to do is tap a few keys somewhere in Washington and get a complete dossier on you.

Going 'off the grid' keeps getting harder and harder.
 
exchemist said:
I've had countless scam mails - and phone calls, from pre-recorded messages or people with an Indian or Filipino accent - telling me my account is suspended or that either my computer or my router is infected with viruses.

Him: "Excuse me Sir but you are having a wirus on your Vindows computer". etc

Me. "Ballocks. Sod off."
Click to expand...

I was browing on my Chromebook a while back and suddenly got a full-screen message purportedly from Microsoft (with all their company graphics and logos) warning me that my Windows OS (!) was infected with a virus and that Microsoft was remotely locking my computer until I contacted somebody (the Pakistani guy with the accent presumably) who would doubtless promise to download something to cleanse my computer after I sent somebody some money by some flaky difficult to trace method.

My keyboard was indeed unresponsive, so I powered off and on again and everything worked fine. Screw that.
 
DaveC426913 said:
Yes, Bowser: you should be sure to stay on top of the latest scams. Avoiding things is not the best method, as they will catch up to you eventually, and you won't be on alert for them if you don't see the coming.
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Good point. In that spirit let me relay to readers the scam du jour in the UK at present. This is one used to defraud university students. The scammers have faked up a very convincing website facsimile of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, HMRC (the Inland Revenue Service in other words) and they email students whose emails they have got by hacking university databases, to say they have overpaid tax and can get a refund.....by supplying bank details and sort codes....

HMRC extremely pissed off about this, pointing out they always contact people by letter not just emails.
 
Yazata said:
I was browing on my Chromebook a while back and suddenly got a full-screen message purportedly from Microsoft (with all their company graphics and logos) warning me that my Windows OS (!) was infected with a virus and that Microsoft was remotely locking my computer until I contacted somebody (the Pakistani guy with the accent presumably) who would doubtless promise to download something to cleanse my computer after I sent somebody some money by some flaky difficult to trace method.

My keyboard was indeed unresponsive, so I powered off and on again and everything worked fine. Screw that.
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Bu nasty eh, in that some bastard actually did get into your computer and turn the keyboard off! That takes actual malware, surely? I've never had anything like that.
 
Fwiw I had a screen pop up saying Im a lucky winner of Galaxy phone just for using Chrome browser,,just give us your CC # and adress and send 2$..
Wasnt sure if was a Scam but didnt care for taking a chance,why would anyone gave you a free phone and want CC info also..
Also been receiving many Scam ph calls from people pretending to be Canada revenue service threatening me with lawsuit for non payment of taxes..load of krap obviously as I always pay my tax on time and always even get a refund
I just delete the voicemail msg and ignore such idiots..
Unfortunately many old folks got conned out of many thousands of $ bc they are too stupid and gulible I guess..
RCMP was investigating these scamers and got whole bunch of them arested,they work from INdia of all places..probably Pakis,,those are the works scumbags ever..
Any time I try to sell anything on CList all I get is Scammers from far away places texting the usual BS,,we send you check and have someone pickup the Item etc..
I play w them saying I do not sell Items..
 
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