23 April 2026

Over-the-top online extortion

Here's the text of an email I found today in my spam folder:
Call was lost, as usual.
Ok. I don't have much time, so let's get straight to the point.
I want to make you an offer that you can refuse, but only once.

Here's what I have:
Your complete personal information: full name, date of birth, home address.
Your social security number and driver's license details.
All your email account login credentials, including this account.
Other login details and your private messages.
A multitude of files found on your devices.
Access to your bank accounts.
The details of your credit cards: number, expiry date, and cvv.

I have compiled this entire package into a single folder. I can and intend to do two things with it. It is up to you to decide which one:

I will send this entire package to darknet markets, where other criminals will buy it.
It is unknown how they will use this information. They may purchase something illegal in your name, or they may not, but you will definitely not like it.

Or you can buy it from me for a small fee of 600 usd.
Changing the entire package of documents and data is very expensive, very time-consuming, and unsafe.

I already know that you have just read this text. Do not try to ignore this.

I only accept payment in bitcoins at the exchange rate at the time of transfer.
Transfer money here: [redacted for posting]

After payment, I will delete the folder containing your data, and you can continue living as before or, if you don't trust me, take your time changing all your data. It's more profitable for me if you pay me. It's easier and better for everyone.

This is a unique offer. Take advantage of it. I will wait for 1 day.
The "from" address was one of my own email addresses.

27 comments:

  1. How very Tyler Durden of you to send yourself that.

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  2. Codex: Are you sure?
    Was it spelled exactly the same?

    Any idea how they did this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think so, but I can't double-check because it's been vaporized from the spam folder. Not sure about the "how" - other readers here may know.

      Delete
    2. Codex if it's off by a letter nothing to worry about. If it's the exact same there's a bigger problem.
      Take a pic next time then get rid of it.

      Delete
    3. Spoofing a sender address is trivial. There are two "From" addresses in every email. The one you see is called the "friendly From" or "header From". You can put anything you like in that field. The other is the "envelope From" or "mail From". This one usually gets authenticated by the sending and/or receiving system and these days is very hard to spoof.

      The one thing you can be fairly certain of is that this is a complete bluff and didn't originate from your own mail account.

      Delete
    4. I regularly get emails from myself. It's pretty trivial to spoof an email. It would be pretty surprising to see one from a second email that I own though.

      Delete
  3. lol, uncharacteristically literate for the genre

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  4. I’ve got a few of those emails. It’s extremely disconcerting the first time when it appears to come from your own email.

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  5. Spammers can make an email look like it came from your address by forging the “From” field—this is called email spoofing, and it does not require access to your account. Email was built on an old protocol (SMTP) that does not verify the sender address by default. Because of this, a spammer can configure their mail‑sending software or server to insert any address they want into the “From” field—just like writing any return address on a physical envelope.

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    Replies
    1. Codex tru but you can still see legit domains if modernized.

      A number of famous writers that are online are having similar problems. Seems to come in waves.

      Delete
  6. Have you experienced "flattery phishing" yet? In the past 10 days I've gotten 3 emails, usually along the lines of "wow, I've looked you up online and you're amazing. Can you tell me how you......?" It's an attempt to engage you in what looks like intellectual discourse, but in fact they're playing a long game. Get you talking, develop trust and then start either getting personal info from you or start asking for little favors that get bigger and...... These get through most filters because the information they contain is mostly yours! But if you're paranoid you quickly realize they're not identifying themselves at all; google the sender and you won't find any other real person's information present. It's a type of phishing that's gone exponential in academic setting in just the last month. Be ready........

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    Replies
    1. This is a variation of Pig Butchering.
      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_butchering_scam

      Delete
  7. Paul in JacksonvilleApril 23, 2026 at 8:41 PM

    This is a very different twist on the "I have recorded your actions as you watch porn" scam.

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  8. Think of every person that has looked at porn, has an Only Fans account, may be carrying on an affair, etc. No, agreed, none of those things are good, but it's even worse to try to extort the person.

    My dad, an elderly man of God who is definitely not going to be into the things I mentioned above, would still be concerned about bank accounts, etc. If I recall right, he paid $400 to stave off a false attack.

    See why I'm kind of for the death penalty for those who market in such things? I'm not talking about some kid who is acting stupid. I'm talking about someone who has created a plot to extort people. If that person is executed, or some other fully sufficient punishment, that makes the world a better place, in my book.

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    Replies
    1. The penalty for significant financial crimes should be poverty.

      Just take all money and property away and force people to live on half of welfare or something. With currently technology you could monitor people and appoint a financial warden of some sort - like in bankruptcy court. For many of these fraudsters that would be worse than jail.

      Sadly, it would be impossible in real life. But I really think it would be an effective penalty that people would fear.

      Delete
  9. Check this out to read the header file.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+check+the+actual+email+from+address+in+outlook%2C+webmail%2C+etc.%3F&sca_esv=e42243e293ad428e&source=hp&ei=mBrraYHlG_zMkPIPx6_g4Qo&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAaesoqNwTs-LDHDmbTMbAE7XcpV1Ziml2&aep=22&ved=0ahUKEwiBkcO0-oWUAxV8JkQIHccXOKwQteYPCA8&oq=&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IgBIAFAAWABwAHgAkAEAmAEAoAEAqgEAuAEByAEAmAIAoAIAmAMAkgcAoAcAsgcAuAcAwgcAyAcAgAgB&sclient=gws-wiz&udm=50&mstk=AUtExfB31uAGs2h-pzGZwJ2HlNBAY8U7MmCrFoeTj-cLvBuSKCNDIxiOVX9iX8BoEvLiaAsutatlfmWaVgWcpG4nYNr5eM5Hvd8jk2ltpaYXcO-arBsHvd0-KJ9onNOrWBmpG3SWF7QHEe3oIToWwCP8Ce_SZxSNO7KaYGA&csuir=1

    I think this is more scarier than the above.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=web+browser+attack+if+not+updated&sca_esv=e42243e293ad428e&source=hp&ei=yRvrabO_OKjPkPIPp_7k4AQ&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAaesp2YALx9g3PSeGQHRSxA_lqywmIFHR&oq=web+browser+attack+if+not+updat&gs_lp=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&sclient=gws-wiz

    Even more scarier and wondering why it did not make the headlines.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoag03mSuXQ

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    Replies
    1. thank you. I'm only partway through the third video and I'm already scared. Seems worth reposting freestanding.

      Delete
  10. These things play to the worst parts of us: greed, fear, and vanity. While their knowledge of psychology may seem rather immature, it is apparently effective...or they wouldn't have any incentive to continue.

    When AI comes more fully on-line...and it weaponized...it will likely be able to scour enough information (if from nowhere else, the IGNORANT questions they make you answer in case you need a password reset; think about it: Why not let YOU make up the questions? Hmmm...). Worse, the psychology will be highly advanced.

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  11. This and any other email scam should be reported to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). If you no longer have the email it is too late to report it. I have two of these scam emails, one of them wanted $12,000! That's takes chutzpah!

    https://www.ic3.gov/

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  12. About updating your browser - you can do it if your computer is using the latest OS and hardware. The library I am at now has Windows 7 Home Premium. Gmail complains that the browser I they have - Firefox 115.35.0esr (64-bit) - is out of date. Because it is a library computer, I cannot update anything, and their systems are too old to update. They would have to buy all new computers / etc. - which they said they were going to do a year or two ago.

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  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  14. Mr. Stan - can you update what has happened? Are you still there? did you pay? wha-happin'd?

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    Replies
    1. After I copypasted it here for people's amusement I moved it to the trash and vaporized it. In conventional terms I'm still here, although technically as per an earlier post this week, I'm being gradually replaced by a new me...

      Delete
  15. Codex: Biological or AI replacement?

    Standing in line to see myself out.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Now more bad news. Hackers exploiting cPanel, so you don't even need to receive scam emails.

    https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/30/hackers-are-actively-exploiting-a-bug-in-cpanel-used-by-millions-of-websites/

    which sites use web server management software cPanel and WebHost Manager (WHM)? Here is a limited list. I see a bank on the list. That means there may be more out there.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=which+sites+use+web+server+management+software+cPanel+and+WebHost+Manager+%28WHM%29&sca_esv=42110982d4b78428&source=hp&ei=kRv0aZjCLvDSkPIPpfi8sA0&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAafQpoT6H6HIeaoKcKVqeThQzoHHyasr1&udm=50&ved=0ahUKEwjYzrPNkJeUAxVwKUQIHSU8D9YQ4dUDCC4&uact=5&oq=which+sites+use+web+server+management+software+cPanel+and+WebHost+Manager+%28WHM%29&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6Ik93aGljaCBzaXRlcyB1c2Ugd2ViIHNlcnZlciBtYW5hZ2VtZW50IHNvZnR3YXJlIGNQYW5lbCBhbmQgV2ViSG9zdCBNYW5hZ2VyIChXSE0pSOsgUJoWWJoWcAB4AZABAJgBLaABLaoBATG4AQPIAQD4AQL4AQGYAgGgAjuoAgPCAhEQABjKBhieBhjwBRjqAhi0ApgDO5IHATGgB_8BsgcBMbgHO8IHAzMtMcgHCYAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz&aep=107&mstk=AUtExfDkpSsmvuahRcRurfymjam_KnjtBklSfGX4PqCSn9iit_qP4qfyVjZet93oGry8s59lUTD7ROQPGhk2CDBjtB_59zPjDEfWLJDb6yvPIaT5UqnuOdRwI1uSD9c82n_W1l-HOGzonJj2qRxwA9Gzp26unAYLz5kvWa0&csuir=1

    Another problem that has been out there, SIM crad swapping.

    https://www.google.com/search?q=sim+card+swapping+can+be+avoided+by&sca_esv=42110982d4b78428&source=hp&ei=nB_0abS4OY-ckPIPzNKwiQc&iflsig=AFdpzrgAAAAAafQtrPxK1c1hPPaZyrzl6AR_xlvs_7aR&oq=simcard+swap&gs_lp=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-gYY8gYYiwPCAgoQABiABBgKGIsDwgIIEAAYgAQYiwPCAgwQABiABBgKGAsYiwOYAwCSBwIxMqAH_W2yBwIxMrgHgQbCBwUyLTkuM8gHUoAIAQ&sclient=gws-wiz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wow. Thank you. Maybe I should blog about the sim card swapping.

      Delete

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