Today, I received an extortion email from someone that identified a password that I sometimes use for ancient coin related sites. Typical scam - claimed they had video of me performing an embarassing act that they would share with my contacts if I didn't pay them. I shared the story with an ancient coin friend who responded that he had received the exact same email two weeks ago! Not surprising, as we frequent and join the same ancient coin sites. I have a suspicion that this relates to a known (tho unadmitted) breach of a certain coin auction site last year. Local police said they couldn't really do much about it. They advised me to just do nothing. I'm telling all of you as a friendly warning. Chances are, many of you use the same websites, and your information may have been similarly compromised. If you receive such an email DO NOT REPLY, DO NOT PAY and do not panic.
They took over my camera on my laptop and threatened to post this embarrassing photo of me, but I decided to just post it here first so they couldn't blackmail me with it!
I have had several of these emails, some before the auction site breach and my wife got the email last week and is not on any ancient coin sites. You can check if and when your email was compromised here-- https://haveibeenpwned.com/
I know it's a common scam with information taken from a breach. However, in this case, the password used was one that I only use on coin sites. Same with my friend. That's a coincidence that I thought worth sharing with this group.
I got a similar email a couple of weeks ago. The odd thing was that the password they had was one that I haven't used in years.
I won't worry about being compromised. Old farts like me would get a laugh out of an embarrassing photo and remind us of the days of our youth.
@Roman Collector I'm scandalize you dare to post a picture of you NAKED under your peignoir. I think you should be ban from CT. It's outrageous to see such an immoral behaviour.
Just echoing others' responses here, I keep a Post-It note over the camera on my computer whenever I'm not using it. I've been doing it for years, ever since I first bought a computer with a built-in camera.
Yeah got mine today...... wife said you watching porn I'm like yeah coin porn....and yes it was deleted . I will also say..... since the shut down and the wife works in a dental office. Which is problly the worse place to be except in an icu working on patients who are coding. I down loaded zoom for her to have office meetings. There are like 40 employees...ever since I did I get nothing but app crap! Everyday tons of down load this...and down load that..I'm like enough!
In all seriousness Thanks for posting this. These individuals prey on the elderly. And, I love you all, I do, but I think the consensus of members here are old enough to fit that category Though, not in my case. However, as they say, can't get blood from a stone.
