Kiwibiker Sextortion Scam

[pzkpfw]

My response was to illustrate that, unlike you, netsafe believe there is a legit email address behind it and a reply would get someone involved.

Yeah, you need to apply a little thought of your own. Blindly following advice without understanding, even if it's good advice, is slightly nauseating. No sane adult should need Netsafe to tell them how to blow their nose.

Yes, sometimes the email address is legit, sure. Especially for the sort of scam where they need to suck you in and initiate a conversation; e.g. the "I have lots of money but need a little of yours to get at it and then you can have some" Nigerian Prince type.

(Of course, you can see where people have had fun with that at https://www.419eater.com/ !)

The point of my first response was simply that in the type of spam this thread is about, the email address is quite likely bogus - because the spammer doesn't need an email reply; so there's doubly no point at all in replying - it's unlikely to even result in 419 eater style fun.

As described in my second post, I have literal first hand experience of spam sent with a bogus address!

[Gearup]

Yeah, you need to apply a little thought of your own. Blindly following advice without understanding, even if it's good advice, is slightly nauseating. No sane adult should need Netsafe to tell them how to blow their nose.

Yes, sometimes the email address is legit, sure. Especially for the sort of scam where they need to suck you in and initiate a conversation; e.g. the "I have lots of money but need a little of yours to get at it and then you can have some" Nigerian Prince type.

(Of course, you can see where people have had fun with that at https://www.419eater.com/ !)

The point of my first response was simply that in the type of spam this thread is about, the email address is quite likely bogus - because the spammer doesn't need an email reply; so there's doubly no point at all in replying - it's unlikely to even result in 419 eater style fun.

As described in my second post, I have literal first hand experience of spam sent with a bogus address!

You're making huge assumptions. How do you know I don't understand the advice offered?

As I wrote earlier, some people do reply to exactly this type of scam and it was suggested they do it by someone in this thread.

I'd believe netsafe before I'd believe someone who provided an unsubstantiated story about a supposed spam email.

[Oakie]

There has been one silver lining with this incident. Explaining to our grandaughter that yes, people can hack in and watch you through your webcam freaked her out quite a bit, and while she is pretty security-savvy (even at 13), this bought it home to her that people really will do this shit. Pretty confident that her laptop will be now be closed when she's not using it.

Oh, as an aside, a couple of weeks ago she got a request for a naked photo of herself from someone she didn't know. She sent them a photo of a policeman and then blocked them. Further back than that and in a similar vein, some random asked her for a 'more specific' photo. She sent them a photo of our cat and then blocked them. I'm sure you can work that out.

[Swoop]

Sounds like fun.
Copy and paste the spammer's email address into a website that will swamp their inbox! There are a few around (just google for them) and it is pleasnt to know their inbox will receive around 12 emails per second.

Not a victory of any sorts, but it gives you a warm feeling inside.

[caspernz]

Sounds like fun.
Copy and paste the spammer's email address into a website that will swamp their inbox! There are a few around (just google for them) and it is pleasnt to know their inbox will receive around 12 emails per second.

Not a victory of any sorts, but it gives you a warm feeling inside.

The provision of a chatbot is cool, now no longer reserved for the IT crowd it seems

[jasonu]

There has been one silver lining with this incident. Explaining to our grandaughter that yes, people can hack in and watch you through your webcam freaked her out quite a bit, and while she is pretty security-savvy (even at 13), this bought it home to her that people really will do this shit. Pretty confident that her laptop will be now be closed when she's not using it.

Oh, as an aside, a couple of weeks ago she got a request for a naked photo of herself from someone she didn't know. She sent them a photo of a policeman and then blocked them. Further back than that and in a similar vein, some random asked her for a 'more specific' photo. She sent them a photo of our cat and then blocked them. I'm sure you can work that out.

Put a cover or piece of tape etc over your web cam. Mark sucker berg uses a post it note and so do I.

[Dadpole]

Try these.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3287...3a994c4dThAH4m

It annoys me when I see a Band-Aid on someones laptop...

[TheDemonLord]

There has been one silver lining with this incident. Explaining to our grandaughter that yes, people can hack in and watch you through your webcam freaked her out quite a bit, and while she is pretty security-savvy (even at 13), this bought it home to her that people really will do this shit. Pretty confident that her laptop will be now be closed when she's not using it.

Oh, as an aside, a couple of weeks ago she got a request for a naked photo of herself from someone she didn't know. She sent them a photo of a policeman and then blocked them. Further back than that and in a similar vein, some random asked her for a 'more specific' photo. She sent them a photo of our cat and then blocked them. I'm sure you can work that out.

As others have mentioned.

Never.
Reply.
To.
Any.
Dodgy.
Request.

Don't reply with a picture.
Especially don't reply with a picture of anything directly related to you personally (yes, that includes your cat).

[Oakie]

Put a cover or piece of tape etc over your web cam. Mark sucker berg uses a post it note and so do I.

Mrs Oakie did that about 5 minutes after I explained that ... "no. I really didn't do that!"

[Oakie]

As others have mentioned.

Never.
Reply.
To.
Any.
Dodgy.
Request.

Don't reply with a picture.
Especially don't reply with a picture of anything directly related to you personally (yes, that includes your cat).

Good point. I'll discuss that with her.

[Oakie]

Sounds like fun.
Copy and paste the spammer's email address into a website that will swamp their inbox! There are a few around (just google for them) and it is pleasnt to know their inbox will receive around 12 emails per second.

Not a victory of any sorts, but it gives you a warm feeling inside.

Trouble is that it's probably a spoofed e-mail addy so belongs to an innocent party.

[pritch]

The advice I read long since was, "Don't engage." If you reply at all, you are confirming that they've found an active account.

There was a news clip taken within FaceBook HQ and it showed Zuckerbergs laptop with the camera covered. He would be a much higher profile than any of us though.

It's odd but people of my acquaintance who have experience in matters of individual and collective security can behave like babes in the woods online.

[ellipsis]

...and then there's the app coming up...following...knowing shit they shouldn't have access to...

...fuck your scammers...there are more dangerous people out there...

...if yer gunna be scammed then you deserve it...security on the web starts with believing nuthin' 'til ya sussed it...and you never will...

...it's just another consumer product to most...consume as much shit as you can...

...it's good for parts you may need tho...sometimes...