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A new scam is making waves: the "Hello Pervert" sextortion email. This scam leverages fear and deception, using public information and past data breaches to intimidate victims into paying ransoms. Here’s everything you need to know about this scam and how to protect yourself.
What is the "Hello Pervert" Scam?
The scam begins with a shocking email that claims to have caught the recipient in compromising situations, often through the use of their webcam. These scammers falsely claim to have recorded you while engaging in inappropriate activities and threaten to send the footage to your friends and family unless you pay a ransom, usually in cryptocurrency.
The twist? They often make the scam seem more credible by using publicly available data, like Google Maps Street View images of your home, or old passwords that were leaked in past data breaches. This can make it feel like they have more information about you than they actually do.
Why This Scam Works
The power of this scam lies in the fear it instils. Seeing personal details like an old password or an image of your home can make the threat seem real. Scammers rely on this fear to push victims into acting quickly, without questioning the validity of their claims. This panic-driven response often leads to victims paying the ransom in hopes of protecting their reputation.
But here’s the truth: these scammers do not have any actual footage. They’re using fear and publicly available data to manipulate you into paying.
How Does the Scam Work?
Here’s the typical flow of the "Hello Pervert" scam:
The Email: You receive an email with a subject like “Hello Pervert” or “I’ve been watching you,” which claims that hackers have used your webcam to record compromising footage of you
The Threat: The email warns that if you don’t pay the ransom—usually in cryptocurrency—within a short time frame, the footage will be sent to your contacts
Fake Evidence: To make the scam seem more convincing, the email might include Google Maps images of your home, or a password you’ve used in the past (which may have been obtained from a data breach)
The Demand: The email provides a Bitcoin wallet or similar method for ransom payment, demanding a sum of money to avoid public humiliation.
The scam thrives on panic, using the sense of urgency to cloud your judgement.
Steps to Protect Yourself
While the scam is designed to scare you, you can take steps to protect yourself and avoid falling victim:
Blur Your Home on Google Maps: Scammers often use Google Maps Street View to make their threats seem real. To prevent this, you can request to blur your home:
Go to Google Maps and search for your address
Click on your house in Street View
Use the three-dot menu to request that your home be blurred.
Ignore and Delete the Email: Never respond to these emails. Engaging with the scammer, even just to deny their claims, confirms that your email address is active and could result in further targeting
Secure Your Accounts: If the scam includes a password you’ve used in the past, it’s crucial to update your passwords across all your accounts. Use strong, unique passwords for every account, and consider using a password manager to keep them organised. Also, enable two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security
Stay Informed About Data Breaches: Regularly check whether your information has been exposed in a data breach using websites like Have I Been Pwned? If your data has been compromised, change your passwords immediately
Report the Scam: Report the email to Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. You can forward the email directly to report@phishing.gov.uk. Make sure to delete the email after reporting it.
The Importance of Staying Calm
Scams like this are designed to induce panic. But remember, the scammers do not have access to your webcam or any compromising footage of you. The information they are using is publicly available, and their goal is to scare you into paying. Staying calm and taking proactive steps to secure your accounts will protect you from these threats.
Final Thoughts
At Culture Gem, we are committed to educating and empowering people to navigate the digital world safely. Cybercriminals rely on fear and misinformation, but with the right knowledge and tools, you can protect yourself and those around you from falling victim to scams like the "Hello Pervert" campaign.