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“I am a spyware software developer” scam removal

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An email from someone claiming to be a “spyware software developer” and extorting Bitcoin for silence is a scam, so learn how to act right in such a scenario.

Extortion scams that circulate over email are trending these days. Also referred to as sextortion, this type of a hoax revolves around false allegations about a device hack, with subsequent threats to disclose some embarrassing nuances of the recipient’s lifestyle purportedly harvested in the course of a several months long compromise. While the basic idea of such messages is the same, their themes vary. One of the latest campaigns in rotation since about mid-November 2018 originates from an impostor saying “I am a spyware software developer” as the email’s opening phrase. In a nutshell, the crook states he has harnessed a known router vulnerability codenamed CVE-2018-0296 to take root in the victim’s computer. This way, the ne’er-do-well was supposedly able to access all contacts as well as data stored on the machine and surveil the user behind the scenes.

Cisco router, vulnerability CVE-2018-0296

I am a spyware software developer email scam
“I am a spyware software developer” email scam

Some users may find the rogue message quite plausible due to one interesting peculiarity. It appears to have been sent from the recipient’s actual email account, which suggests that the hack is real. Furthermore, the indication of the victim’s email password right in the message body might get some people busy following the demands. The explanation for this trick can be twofold. The criminals are most likely to have obtained the account access information from a large-scale breach of an Internet service, with ensuing leaks of numerous users’ logins and passwords used for signing up. Meanwhile, chances are the villain uses a malicious technique called email spoofing. This way, the message will look as though it came from a specified email address, although that’s a misperception.

One way or another, the contents of the “I am a spyware software developer” scam message are as follows:

Dear user of mydomain.ca!

I am a spyware software developer.
Your account has been hacked by me in the summer of 2018.

I understand that it is hard to believe, but here is my evidence:
– I sent you this email from your account.
– Password from account myemail@mydomain.ca: *password* (on moment of hack).

The hacking was carried out using a hardware vulnerability through which you went online (Cisco router, vulnerability CVE-2018-0296).

I went around the security system in the router, installed an exploit there.
When you went online, my exploit downloaded my malicious code (rootkit) to your device.
This is driver software, I constantly updated it, so your antivirus is silent all time.

Since then I have been following you (I can connect to your device via the VNC protocol).
That is, I can see absolutely everything that you do, view and download your files and any data to yourself.
I also have access to the camera on your device, and I periodically take photos and videos with you.

At the moment, I have harvested a solid dirt… on you…
I saved all your email and chats from your messangers. I also saved the entire history of the sites you visit.

I note that it is useless to change the passwords. My malware update passwords from your accounts every times.

I know what you like hard funs (adult sites).
Oh, yes .. I’m know your secret life, which you are hiding from everyone.
Oh my God, what are your like… I saw THIS … Oh, you dirty naughty person … :)

I took photos and videos of your most passionate funs with adult content, and synchronized them in real time with the image of your camera.
Believe it turned out very high quality!

So, to the business!
I’m sure you don’t want to show these files and visiting history to all your contacts.

Transfer $830 to my Bitcoin cryptocurrency wallet: 1GXazHVQUdJEtpe62UFozFibPa8ToDoUn3
Just copy and paste the wallet number when transferring.
If you do not know how to do this – ask Google.

My system automatically recognizes the translation.
As soon as the specified amount is received, all your data will be destroyed from my server, and the rootkit will be automatically removed from your system.
Do not worry, I really will delete everything, since I am ‘working’ with many people who have fallen into your position.
You will only have to inform your provider about the vulnerabilities in the router so that other hackers will not use it.

Since opening this letter you have 48 hours.
If funds not will be received, after the specified time has elapsed, the disk of your device will be formatted, and from my server will automatically send email and sms to all your contacts with compromising material.

I advise you to remain prudent and not engage in nonsense (all files on my server).

Good luck!.

Obviously, the malefactor tries to convince the victim that he has some nearly incriminating information about them. He claims to have noticed that the user was visiting adult sites a lot, engaging in things they wouldn’t like their family, co-workers and friends to know, to put it mildly. Moreover, the self-proclaimed “spyware software developer” purports to have made pictures of the user via the device’s camera when they were watching X-rated content. The culprit says he could connect to the computer by abusing the VNC (Virtual Network Computing) protocol. Then goes the extortion part proper. The con artist threatens to send the intimate materials to the user’s contacts. In order to avoid that, the victim is instructed to send about $850 worth of Bitcoin (the amount may vary) to the attacker’s BTC address.

This disgusting scam deserves only one kind of treatment – removal. Indeed, the email can be removed without any pangs of conscience. In addition, it’s a good idea to check the computer for botnet activity or malware.

Automated removal of malware related to the “I am a spyware software developer” email scam

Owing to an up-to-date database of malware signatures and intelligent behavioral detection, the recommended software can quickly locate the infection, eradicate it and remediate all harmful changes. So go ahead and do the following:

1. Download and install the antimalware tool. Open the solution and have it check your PC for PUPs and other types of malicious software by clicking the Start Computer Scan button

Download “spyware software developer” scam virus remover

2. Rest assured the scan report will list all items that may harm your operating system. Select the detected entries and click Fix Threats to get the troubleshooting completed.

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