Almost half a million computers have been hijacked by hackers and used to send “sextortion” emails to unsuspecting email accounts of users across the world, including the UK. The email sent to users claims the sender has obtained compromising photos of the recipients which will be published online, unless the recipient pays an extortionate fee. Obviously no such photos exist, but the criminal sender of the email is hoping the recipient won’t realise and send them money.

Reports suggest that the emails have been sent at a rate of approximately 30,000 an hour, often containing some personal information which convinces the recipient that the sender is more authentic. The personal data has normally been obtained via previous data breaches where usernames and passwords have been obtained by hackers.

If you receive any emails which seem suspicious, please treat them as such! If you need any assistance identifying whether an email is genuine or not, or would like to discuss possible solutions to prevent SPAM and inappropriate email, contact us to discuss.