I received a letter from a hacker. The sender is me. What should I do?

Dream NTP

Details of the message from the hacker.

[full message deleted by admin due to inappropriate language]

Ask for opinions from experts I check for malware every week. Malware detected I immediately followed Bitdefender's instructions.

Should I believe the lies? Because I don't see any evidence files. There are no photos. I have successfully changed my password. Should I do anything further?

Flexx

It's highly likely that this message is a scam. These types of extortion emails are common and often rely on fear and shame to pressure victims into paying. Here's why you should be skeptical:

• No Evidence: The hacker claims to have compromising videos but provides no proof. If they had such material, they would likely include a sample to make their threat more credible.
• Generic Threats: The message uses generic language and threats that could apply to anyone. It doesn't contain any specific details about you or your life, which suggests it's a mass-distributed scam.
• Urgency and Pressure: The 48-hour deadline and warnings against contacting authorities or resetting devices are tactics to create panic and discourage you from thinking clearly or seeking help.
• Cryptocurrency Payment: The demand for payment in Litecoin (LTC) is a red flag. Cryptocurrencies are favored by scammers because they are difficult to trace.

What You Should Do:

1. Don't Panic: Remember, the hacker likely has no evidence. Their goal is to scare you into paying.
2. Don't Pay: Paying the ransom doesn't guarantee the hacker will delete the videos or leave you alone. In fact, it may encourage them to demand more money.
3. Secure Your Accounts: You've already changed your password, which is a good first step. Consider enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security on all your accounts.
4. Report the Scam: Inform Microsoft about the email and the compromised account. You can also report the scam to your local law enforcement or cybercrime authorities.

Also, perform the following steps:

1) Open the Run command and execute the following commands one by one:

temp – delete all the files in the folder.

%temp% – delete all the files in the folder.

prefetch – delete all the files in the folder.

2) Run Disk Cleanup using this guide: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/disk-cleanup-in-windows-8a96ff42-5751-39ad-23d6-434b4d5b9a68

3) Reset the Windows host file to default. You can find instructions here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-reset-the-hosts-file-back-to-the-default-c2a43f9d-e176-c6f3-e4ef-3500277a6dae

4) Reset your web browsers:

Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/3296214?hl=en

Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/refresh-firefox-reset-add-ons-and-settings

Microsoft Edge: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/reset-microsoft-edge/

Opera: https://browsersolution.com/reset-opera-browser

Vivaldi: https://help.vivaldi.com/desktop/install-update/full-reset-of-vivaldi/

Brave: https://support.brave.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017903152-How-do-I-reset-Brave-settings-to-default

5) Scan your devices for malware using Bitdefender antimalware product.

6) Install the uBlock Origin and Ghostery browser extensions with all filters enabled in your web browser.

Regards

Alexandru_BD

@Dream NTP here's an article explaining exactly how these scammers operate:

https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/e-mails-claiming-your-computer-was-hacked-and-your-privacy-exposed-what-you-need-to-know-spoiler-you-can-relax-theyre-bluffing/