A MAN has been left terrified after receiving a terrifyingly convincing scam email that included his personal information and a picture of his house.
Experts are warning against a new tactic by scammers that consists of demanding money from victims after scaring them with threatening messages.
A picture of Ross’ mailbox included in the email, which was later revealed to be taken from Google Street View[/caption]
Atlanta resident Lonnie Ross recently received an email containing some of his personal information.
He was immediately taken aback by a familiar picture included in the message.
“It had my phone number, address, email, my name, and what really got me – they took a picture of my mailbox,” he told local ABC affiliate WSB-TV.
The threatening message contained a picture of his front yard and mailbox.
“It’s like someone close by, you know?” Ross told WSB-TV.
“So walking down my street, driving a car so they ride up on me.”
The fraudulent email was written in a casual tone, saying that the scammer was making a “deal” with recipients by demanding ransom money from them.
“It’s important you pay attention right now. Take a moment to breathe,” the email started.
According to a post of the email on Reddit, the message quickly moved to more intimidating language.
“Cause we’re about to discuss a deal between you and me, and I ain’t playing games,” the email continued.
The scammer threatened to expose information captured by spyware that they claimed to have installed on the recipients’ devices.
The criminals demanded Ross pay a $2,000 ransom in Bitcoin after warning they were gathering personal information on him through access to his devices.
However, a cybersecurity expert assured that the threats were empty after multiple WSB-TV viewers reported receiving similar email threats.
“It’s very well written, very convincing,” cybersecurity researcher Willis McDonald said.
Bank tips for avoiding scams
As scams become more sophisticated with the use of artificial intelligence, it is important you know how to spot a scam:
- Be skeptical of online deals that seem too good to be true, especially on social media.
- Scammers will often use tactics to make you panicked so you make quick decisions – be cautious if you are told to take immediate action and verify who has contacted you.
- Chase Bank warns customers to “never return any unexpected funds without calling Chase first.”
- Never send money to someone you have only spoken to online or by phone as this is likely a romance scam.
- Unless you 100% know who you are talking to, never give someone remote access to your device.
- Never accept help from strangers at an ATM and always be vigilant when making withdrawals.
- Do not send money or click any links indicating that you have won a prize.
Source: Chase.com
GOOGLE TRICK
McDonald said the cybercriminals don’t have the access that they claim to – and that the threatening pictures were simply taken from Google Maps on street view.
He said that if anyone doesn’t want their home pictured on maps, they have the option to request their home be blurred on Google Street View to protect their privacy.
The expert said the frauds might have access to personal information like email addresses and phone numbers due to a data breach.
“This is a direct result of something like that, where your data has been breached,” the expert told WSB-TV.
“It’s got your phone number, your email, your name.”
Expert Tips: Crypto Scam Red Flags
Scam expert Toby Braun, the managing partner for American Special Investigative Group and Heroya Cryptocurrency Investigations spoke exclusively to The U.S. Sun about the warning signs of crypto scams.
Beware of a “Crypto trading platform, service or fund offering unusually high returns,” he said as these “are more than likely a scam.”
Individuals who still go ahead with the investment should ensure that “professional due diligence” is carried out regarding the individual or platform.
His second tip is to “refrain from responding to personal solicitations involving cryptocurrency from an unknown source.”
This can be via any social media platform, emails, text messages, or WhatsApp.
The third red flag is being approached by people who seem to be overly friendly.
“Many scammers use deepfake technology to pretend to be someone on dating sites they are not,” Braun said.
“Once the scammers connect with their unbeknown victim who is often just looking for a real connection, they flatter them before sharing how much money they are making with crypto.
“The victim is then lured into making substantial investments, and deposit funds they’ll never see again.”
Similarly, the expert warned people away from engaging with strangers or people they have just met if they are asking for money or encouraging them to invest.
Lastly, “be aware of anything that simply sounds too good to be true. It generally never is,” he added.
To prevent data breaches, make sure your passwords are strong and that you use two-factor authentication.
McDonald said that AI tools like Chat GPT can assist scammers in creating persuasive messages to trick potential victims.
“By using things like AI tools, they’re able to make more convincing letters,” McDonald said.
“They’re able to make, you know, revisions on the fly really quick.”
You can report online scams on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
