22 Aug 2017
Webcam blackmail scam
CERT NZ and Netsafe have seen a spike in online blackmail incidents. Scammers claim to have video footage of people in compromising positions and they are using it to blackmail them.
Recent threats
We highlight current cyber security threats in New Zealand, and provide guidance on what to do if they affect you.
What's happening
What this means
Reports received by CERT NZ and Netsafe follow a similar format. A scammer will send a blackmail email to a person. The email claims that when the person visited an unspecified adult website the scammer turned on the person’s webcam and recorded what was happening. The scammer threatens to email the video to all the person’s contacts unless they pay a ransom of around $500.
We can’t confirm whether the video recordings actually exist, or if this is an opportunistic scam.
Netsafe have also seen reports of another version of this scam.
A scammer will set up an online profile with an attractive profile picture. This could be on social media or on an online dating site. They connect with a person, and encourage them to perform certain acts with the webcam on. They record this activity, and use it to blackmail the person. There have been reports of these videos being released on social media.
What to do
Prevention
- For extra security, cover your webcam with removable tape or a webcam cover when you are not using it.
- Be smart about making friends on social media:
- Only accept friend invitations from people that you know in real life. This means someone you know personally, or someone you know is a real person, like a celebrity or public figure.
- Remember, if you don't want to be friends with someone, or let them see what you're posting, you can block them.
- Understand your privacy settings
- Get to know the privacy settings for each of your social media accounts — you’ll find them in your account settings. Think about who you want to see your profile, and what kind of information you want them to see.
- Check your settings regularly. They’re often updated so review them from time to time to make sure that nothing’s changed.
Mitigation
- Do not pay the ransom. It can be tempting to pay money to make the problem go away. In similar cases overseas, the scammers continue to ask for more money once the first ransom is paid.
- Do not contact the scammers. Block them on whichever method of communication they’re using to speak to you.
- Consider temporarily deactivating your social media profiles so no one can access your contacts.
- If you're affected by this scam, there is a chance that you could have malware on your computer system. We recommend taking your computer to an IT specialist to check for malware.
- Report the incident to Netsafe. You can do this by:
- filling out an online contact form
- emailing queries@netsafe.org.nz
- calling 0508 NETSAFE (0508 638 723).
Report an incident to Netsafe External Link
Reporting to Police (which Netsafe can help you with):
- Blackmail is a serious criminal offence in New Zealand, punishable by up to fourteen years imprisonment.
- Until you decide what you want to do with the incident, don’t delete any information, including the original demand, any other correspondence, social network accounts the scammer has used, and methods of payment.
- Digital evidence is fragile and needs to be captured in a timely fashion. Once deleted or blocked the evidence is generally gone.
More information
If you need to talk to someone, the following free helplines operate 24/7:
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757
LIFELINE: 0800 543 354
NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737
SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666
YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234