Naked Science Forum
Non Life Sciences => Geek Speak => Topic started by: syhprum on 12/12/2018 15:24:06
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I too received one of these silly scams "we have filmed you doing forbidden things and put lots of nasty things on your computer, send us lots of money and we will take them off etc" I am not a sucker I just deleted it should I have done more ?
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Ask for their bank details, then call the police. But don't respond via their website or email - use a public telephone only. If no phone number, just note the IP and call the police.
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I too received one of these silly scams "we have filmed you doing forbidden things and put lots of nasty things on your computer, send us lots of money and we will take them off etc" I am not a sucker I just deleted it should I have done more ?
Ask for their bank details, then call the police ...
If I were you I would not involve local plod : they won't be able to do anything other than mistake you for some sort of perv and confiscate your computer(s).
If you must report* them to someone, anonymously (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)) throw the scammers to the wolves at 419eater (https://www.419eater.com)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scam_baiting
[ * I wouldn't bother, I would just forget about it, and modify my email account so I never heard from them again ].
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/scam-emails [anonymously] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network))
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The last thing I would want to do is have anything to do voluntarily with the local police as you say this would probably lead to the confiscation my computer and I would have to destroy my drives as a precaution
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Add the details (and a suitably redacted version of what you received) to this thread that I started so that people are aware of these nasty things and also don't fall for them:
https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=74281.0
Whatever you do, don't reply to the original email, because this is a signal to them that they have hit an active target.
These scam emails are fired off like a scattergun at email addresses guessed, stolen or invented; they then just reel in anything / anyone that bites.
Don't fall for it; don't engage; definitely don't pay!
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Even if you it was technically possible (which I am sure it is not) for my activity in this house or on my computer to be recorded nothing happens that I would pay to avoid being made public, not a snowballs chance in hell that I would part with any money.
If I can find a copy I will send it the URL as you requested.
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Even if ... it was technically possible (which I am sure it is not) for my activity ... on my computer to be recorded ...
It is possible for people's internet activity to be tracked :
Browser-cookies can give away what websites someone has visited ...
https://gizmodo.com/how-to-avoid-getting-tracked-as-you-browse-the-web-1821008719
Your ISP (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_service_provider) will also be able to record every website you visit, unless you are using VPN (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_private_network) , or TOR (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tor_(anonymity_network)).
Since 2016 UK ISPs have to keep a record of the websites a person has visited for a year ...
"Investigatory Powers Act 2016 ... required communication service providers (CSPs) to retain UK internet users' "Internet connection records" – which websites were visited but not the particular pages and not the full browsing history – for one year
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investigatory_Powers_Act_2016#Provisions_of_the_Act
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What I meant was that it was very unlikely that my improper behaviour could be filmed
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Ask for their bank details, then call the police. But don't respond via their website or email - use a public telephone only. If no phone number, just note the IP and call the police.
These "bad guys" need to be severely punished.