Gained Access to Your Account/Device (Email Scam)

Have you received this email in your inbox? Don't worry, it's not real.

By Andy Mulholland - Malware Researcher 9 Min Read

We've seen numerous reports of a new rehashed email scam in which a supposed hacker claims to have “gained access to your account/device.”

This is quite similar to another email that claimed to have bad news to report. We discovered that these emails are simply paraphrased for each recipient so that they appear fresh and personalized.

The sender of this email claims to have complete access to your accounts and passwords.

According to their statement, they had access to multiple devices and accounts, including Messenger and social media platforms.

The hacker may also provide an old password as proof of ownership, obtained through an old database leak.

The hacker will claim to have gained access by installing a keylogger on the recipient's computer and recording the victim engaging in explicit activities and watching explicit videos.

These so-called “professional hackers” will charge you a large sum of money to prevent your personal information from being disclosed to anyone, including family members.

They claim to have seen inappropriate videos of you and want to extort money from them.

These emails are widely distributed and known as scam or phishing emails. They fall into the same category as the Pegasus/Hermit email scams and are simply rehashed versions of previous scam campaigns.

Content of the email

Here is the full content of the email scam (Uncleaned):


Hi there!</br>

</br>

I am a professional hacker and have successfully managed to hack your operating system.</br> Currently I have gained full access to your account. </br> </br> When I hacked into your mail_account, your password was: xxxxx</br> </br> In addition, I was secretly monitoring all your activities and watching you for several months. </br> The thing is your computer was infected with harmful spyware due to the fact that you had visited a website with pxxx content previously. ╭ ᑎ ╮</br> </br> Let me explain to you what that entails. Thanks to Trojan viruses, I can gain complete access to your computer or any other device that you own.</br> It means that I can see absolutely everything in your screen and switch on the camera as well as microphone at any point of time without your permission. </br> In addition, I can also access and see your confidential information as well as your emails and chat messages.</br> </br> You may be wondering why your antivirus cannot detect my malicious software. </br> Let me break it down for you: I am using harmful software that is driver-based, </br> which refreshes its signatures on 4-hourly basis, hence your antivirus is unable to detect it presence.</br> </br> I have made a video compilation, which shows on the left side the scenes of you happily mxxxxxxxxxx, </br> while on the right side it demonstrates the video you were watching at that moment..ᵔ.ᵔ</br> </br> All I need is just to share this video to all email addresses and messenger contacts of people you are in communication with on your device or PC. </br> Furthermore, I can also make public all your emails and chat history.</br> </br> I believe you would definitely want to avoid this from happening. </br> Here is what you need to do – transfer the Bitcoin equivalent of 1290 USD to my Bitcoin account </br> (that is rather a simple process, which you can check out online in case if you don't know how to do that).</br> </br> Below is my bitcoin account information (Bitcoin wallet): 1KZnEyumPFBVNK7jdedYL5XwaCLNW3G5Ty</br>

</br>

Once the required amount is transferred to my account, I will proceed with deleting all those videos and disappear from your life once and for all. </br> Kindly ensure you complete the abovementioned transfer within 50 hours (2 days +). </br> I will receive a notification right after you open this email, hence the countdown will start.</br> </br> Trust me, I am very careful, calculative and never make mistakes.</br> If I discover that you shared this message with others, I will straight away proceed with making your private videos public.</br> </br> Good luck!


Scam emails in general

We've seen numerous scam emails on the internet, and this isn't the first. Not to mention that the email scam has been rephrased multiple times.

The malicious sender employs scareware tactics to instill fear in the recipient, allowing him to be manipulated and coerced into meeting their malicious demands.

Scam emails frequently contain bogus invoice scams, in which scammers use payment information to transfer funds to a fraudulent account.

These emails attempt to trick the user into sending money by threatening to reveal a secret to the public.

The email claims that the sender has accessed your accounts and personal information. However, this claim is unfounded and has no merit against the recipient.

Cybercriminals will go to any length to make these emails appear legitimate; in some cases, scammers will spoof the user's email address, convincing them that the email was sent directly from their Microsoft or iCloud accounts.

How these scams trick you into thinking they are real

The “Gained access to your account/device” email scam could have included your account password, contact information, phone number, home address, and even a photo of the driveway.

When this happens, there's no need to worry because the data is most likely outdated and obtained from the internet.

Cybercriminals are aware of these credentials because they were discovered on the dark web, possibly as the result of a data breach at a previously registered website.

For example, if you create an account on an ecommerce website and it is compromised, all of your information, including shipping addresses, phone numbers, and emails, will become public.

They did not infect your computer, but they may have used your personal information in the email to make the hack appear legitimate to the recipient.

Furthermore, aside from your password information, they provide no solid proof or evidence to support their claims.

Summary
Subject lineGained access to your account/device
Threat typePhishing scam, deceptive email, sextortion
Fake claimHackers have gained access to your computer & accounts
Asking amount$950~5000 USD (in cryptocurrency)
DamagePotential loss of personal data & money

What should you do about your data?

Our team has been tracking these sextortion emails for a long time, and we frequently receive emails and messages from site visitors asking what they should do next after disregarding the email.

Having your private data floating around the corners of the internet can make you feel vulnerable and exposed.

As a result, we recently partnered with DeleteMe, a privacy service that can help you remove your private information from the internet.

DeleteMe removes your personal information from over 750 data brokers (full list) and offers custom removal requests, automatic routine removal, and detailed reporting to give you peace of mind.

Right now, Hackerdose visitors can get 20% off DeleteMe, allowing you to get your data off the internet and stop receiving these scary emails for good.

Scan your system for malware just in case (Optional)

In extremely rare cases, cybercriminals may have placed malware on the recipient's computer.

In this case, the phishing email contains an authentic screenshot of your device's screen or the entire hardware configuration, including drivers.

Remove malware from your computer to prevent additional data and system damage. Here are the steps to take:

How to remove malware from computer

You've come to the right place if you need help getting rid of malware risks on your computer.

In the steps that follow, you'll learn how to get rid of harmful risks and make sure your system is malware-free.

We considered the technical skills of the people who use the internet, so we made sure the steps are simple enough that even those who aren't tech-savvy could follow them.

Before you continue, make sure you have a copy of your data saved somewhere else. If you don't, your files could get damaged or lost while you follow the steps below. These kinds of things don't usually happen, but we suggest doing it just in case.

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For the Overviews

To remove malware from your computer, you only need to follow a simple three-step procedure:

Step 1: Run malware scans

Step 2: Uninstall unrelated software

Step 3: Use the Tron script


Step 1: Run malware scans

New threats might not be found by antivirus engines in the early stages of an infection because their signatures are still being researched and put to a database for detection. It might be found in the end, but it may be too late for the computers that were infected.

However new malware threats can have some strings and signatures of some older malware in a database of other security software. Therefore it might get detected by other antivirus and not by others.

Since people who aren't tech-savvy might have trouble finding the malware, we will need more than one piece of security software to help us find the malicious threat.

Here's some good news: The programs mentioned below are completely free, which means you do not need to spend a dime to solve your malware problem. You can always use them anytime you feel your system is infected.

Please run the software individually. You can do so in any particular order.

  • Removal Tool
  • Emergency Kit
  • ESET Scanner
  • Malwarebytes
About the software

1. To start, download the Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool.

KVRT Step1

2. Once the download of the executable file (KVRT.exe) is complete. The program doesn't need to be installed on the computer, so you may begin running it straight away.

KVRT Step2

3. After reading the KSN Statement, Privacy Policy, and End User License Agreement, check the box indicating your agreement to the terms and conditions. To continue, click Accept.

KVRT Step3

4. Please wait for the system initialization process to finish, as the program will first check if your system is compatible.

KVRT Step4

5. Before we start scanning, we will have to set the scope of the scan. Click the Change parameters option to do so.

KVRT Step5

6. Check all the boxes to allow the computer to search through all of the disks and directories for malware. After that, click OK to return to the main screen.

KVRT Step6

7. We can now begin the scan; simply click the Start scan button, and the Virus Removal Tool will begin.

KVRT Step7

8. Await the scan's completion with patience. If there are any risks within the computer system, a notification will be displayed.

KVRT Step8

9. To completely remove the risks that the program has identified, click Delete from the drop-down menu of each discovered object.

KVRT Step9

10. Click Continue to remove the identified malware threats from your computer.

KVRT Step10
About the software

1. Download the Emsisoft Emergency Kit portable software.

Emsisoft Step1

2. You can launch the executable program (EmsisoftEmergencyKit.exe) directly from your downloads folder after downloading it.

Emsisoft Step2

3. Click Yes to let the program start on the computer when the User Account Control window appears.

Emsisoft Step3

4. Choose your program's destination folder and accept the license and maintenance terms. Next, click Install to continue.

Emsisoft Step4

5. Click Malware Scan on the homepage of the Emergency Kit application to start the scanning process. The amount of time it takes for the program to scan your computer will depend on how many files you have and the hardware capabilities of your system.

Emsisoft Step5

6. Emsisoft Emergency Scanner will display a list of the files that the program has detected when the scan is complete. To get rid of threats from your computer, click on Quarantine selected.

Emsisoft Step6

7. To complete the malware removal procedure, Emsisoft Emergency Scanner may also ask you to restart your computer. Simply click Reboot your system to finish the process.

Emsisoft Step7
About the software

1. Download the most recent version of ESET Online Scanner.

ESET Step1

2. After pressing the download button, the file (Esetonlinescanner.exe) should have been downloaded to your computer. It does not require any installations so you can simply run the aforementioned file.

ESET Step2

3. Before using ESET Online Scanner, it must be initialized. Choose your preferred language and click Get started. Continue as directed by the screen until the homepage appears.

ESET Step3

4. Click Computer scan from the homepage, then select Full scan from the three options available.

ESET Step4

5. Give ESET Online Scanner the permission to detect and remove potentially unwanted apps by ticking the Enable option. After that, click Start scan to begin the scanning process.

ESET Step5

6. Await the completion of the malware scan for your machine by the ESET Online Scanner. ESET Online Scanner would have automatically removed the threats it found after the scan. To complete the malware cleanup process, click Proceed.

ESET Step6
About the software

Note: We will only use the free version of Malwarebytes because it includes all of the capabilities we require.

1. Download the latest version of Malwarebytes Anti-malware.

Malwarebytes Step1

2. Malwarebytes will start downloading (MBSetup.exe) the installation file. Run the executable after the download is complete.

Malwarebytes Step2

3. To allow the program to execute, simply click Yes in the User Account Control window that may appear.

Malwarebytes Step3

4. The Malwarebytes setup wizard will now open; select Install to continue.

Malwarebytes Step4

5. You will be prompted by Malwarebytes to install the Browser Guard extension. Depending on whether you want it on your browser or not, you can choose to download it (the extension is completely free).

Malwarebytes Step5

6. Please wait as the Malwarebytes Setup installs itself. Follow the on-screen instructions until you have successfully installed Malwarebytes.

Malwarebytes Step6

7. Start by launching Malwarebytes Anti-malware for the first time after it has been installed. If you're installing Malwarebytes for the first time, you'll get a 14-day free trial of the premium version.

Malwarebytes Step7

8. After the program takes you to the main dashboard, click the Scanner box in the middle to start scanning the computer.

Malwarebytes Step8

9. You won't click Scan just yet when you get to the Scanner page. Rather, select Advanced scans as shown below.

Malwarebytes Step9

10. In the Custom scan section, click Configure scan. We will be able to alter the way the software scans the computer as a result.

Malwarebytes Step10

11. To detect hidden malware, click the box next to Scan for rootkits on the Configure Custom Scan screen. Additionally, to enable Malwarebytes to scan every drive on your computer, check the boxes next to each one.

Malwarebytes Step11

12. Once the Custom Scan options have been adjusted, click the Start Custom Scan button to get started.

Malwarebytes Step12

13. A side window displaying the computer scan's progress will appear. Please wait until Malwarebytes has completed its malware scan of the entire system.

Malwarebytes Step13

14. Following the completion of the scan, a list of threats found will appear. Check the boxes near all the malicious files and get rid of them from the computer by clicking the Quarantine button.

Malwarebytes Step14

If prompted, please restart your computer since Malwarebytes may require it.

Step 2: Uninstall unrelated software

You may discover programs on your computer that you did not install yourself and that you do not recognize. Since they might be the source of the malware infection, we should delete them as a result.

While the most recent version of Windows settings allows you to accomplish this through the Add & Remove Programs section, it is far simpler to use the Programs and Features page in the Control Panel.

The publisher name, the installation date, and the version number will all be displayed on a single grid screen, making it simpler to locate the virus. Here's how to do so:

1. Click on the Windows key to open the Start menu.

Uninstall Step1

2. Type Control Panel in the provided search bar and select the first item from the search results.

Uninstall Step 2

3. Click on Programs and inside, select Programs and Features.

Uninstall Step3

4. You will be presented with a list of programs currently installed on your computer.

Uninstall Step4

5. Find programs you do not recognize and right-click the item then select Uninstall/Change from the dropdown menu.

Uninstall Step5

We'll need to use a powerful uninstaller to do the dirty work for us if the software is stubborn and won't go away with normal approaches.

Fortunately, there are tools for this; Revo Uninstaller is a good uninstaller program made to tackle and remove uninstallable programs.

Revouninstaller icon Uninstall unwanted program/s using Revo Uninstaller

1. To start, download Revo Uninstaller by clicking here. Avoid downloading from third-party sources as they may contain additional bloatware upon installation.

Revo Step1

2. On the download page, opt for the free version of Revo Uninstaller as it has all the features we need. Click on Free Download to begin downloading the setup file.

Revo Step2

3. The revosetup.exe file would have started downloading. Click on it to start installing the software.

Revo Step3

4. Revo Uninstaller setup would now begin and follow the typical setup procedure such as selecting your setup language, accepting the license agreement, and selecting the installation location. Once setup is ready click Install.

Revo Step4

5. After the setup is finished, check the Launch Revo Uninstaller option to open the program upon closing the installer.

Revo Step5

6. Once Revo Uninstaller has opened, it will show you the list of applications currently installed on the computer. Find the program/s you do not recognize, right-click it, and select Uninstall from the drop-down menu. (We will be using PC App Store to demonstrate.)

Revo Step6

7. A confirmation message stating if you are sure you want to uninstall the said program, click Continue.

Revo Step7

8. Follow the uninstallation instructions and this time, Revo Uninstaller would have forced the program to continue with the uninstallation compared to the previous attempt via Control Panel.

Revo Step8

9. You will be notified that the software has been uninstalled, Revo Uninstaller will now conduct a preliminary examination and get rid of additional files and registries related to the program.

Revo Step9

10. On the selection of Scanning modes, select Advanced to make sure everything is scanned without leaving a single directory unnoticed.

Revo Step10

11. Wait for the scan to finish as Revo Uninstaller is checking for residual files and registries related to the program.

Revo Step11

12. Revo Uninstaller may have found leftover Registry items, click Select All and proceed to delete them by clicking the Delete button next to it. After that, click Next.

Revo Step12

13. It may have also found some leftover files and folders, simply do the same by clicking Select All and deleting them. Now click Finish and the uninstallation of the unwanted program is done.

Revo Step13

Step 3: Use the Tron Script (Optional)

The Tron script fights for the user, therefore it is one of our all-time favorites; it uses practically every removal and optimization method known to man, all with the touch of a single button.

It automates functions and programs for removing malware and bloatware, as well as cleaning up the computer, so the user behind the screen doesn't have to do any work at all.

Fair warning: It has been stated numerous times in the Tron Script documentation that attempting to clean or repair a system that was compromised by malware may result in a disabled PC. As a result, it is recommended that you backup your files before proceeding, as stated at the beginning of the instructions.

With that being said, let us proceed and use the Tron script to clean the system:

1. To start, download the Tron script.

Tron Step1

2. Extract the downloaded Tron file, with the use of an archiver like 7-Zip. Please keep in mind that you will not run the Tron script exactly as it is downloaded. You'll need to extract the.exe first.

Tron Step2

3. After extracting the compressed file, open the Tron folder, right-click the Tron script, and run it as administrator.

Tron Step3

4. The Tron script would have opened up and initialized by updating the database and checking the repo.

Tron Step4

5. Once the initialization is finished, the disclaimer will be shown on the screen. Read it and type I AGREE in all caps to continue.

Tron Step5

6. After agreeing to the disclaimer, it will show your current settings, as well as the Runtime estimate on how long the script may run. Press any key to begin running the Tron script on the system.

Tron Step6

7. It will create a system restore point before beginning the process so if you run into any issues after running the script, you can always restore to the point it created before it started.

Tron Step7

8. Please wait for the whole process to finish. You may see Tron script download and run multiple programs on the computer but it will uninstall them after finishing the process. This might take a long time as shown on the Runtime estimate.

Tron Step8

9. Once everything has finished, the CMD window will have turned green which indicates that the process is a success. Press any key on your keyboard to close the Tron script.

Tron Step9

10. To finalize the Tron script process, we recommend that you restart your computer.

Tron Step10

After restarting your computer, you should no longer see the presence of malware threats. You can always use the Tron script as a last option if you believe your machine is infected and there is no chance of detecting the malware.

Tips to protect your PC from malware

As the saying goes:The biggest vulnerability is the person behind the screen

So, here are some tips and what you need to know in order to keep your device safe and malware-free in the long run.

Keep every software installed up to date

Make sure that all of the programs in your computer is up-to-date with the latest version released by the developer. The reason behind this is that these updates frequently tackle bugs and issues that malware actors often exploit.

The same goes for your computer's operating system, make sure Windows is up-to-date with the latest software update to prevent malware from exploiting a hidden vulnerability.

Avoid downloading files from unknown sources

One of the biggest sources of malware infection in a computer system is third-party installations. This happens when a user downloads a certain program from sources that are not the official download links. Some of the common types of sources where malware is present are torrent files, cracked software, and games.

Be careful with opening email attachments

Malware often disguises itself as resumes and quotations and threat actors often send thousands of these infected emails to company employees around the world in order to infiltrate their network.

Always check where your emails are coming from as there may be a chance that the project attachment you received via email did not actually come from a co-worker.

Do not visit unreputable websites

Avoid visiting websites that contain unfiltered advertisements such as illegal streaming websites, cracked software platforms, and links sent out to you by somebody you do not trust.

These sites are often linked to redirect chains that load once you click on an ad element on the page. Following this chain often leads to drive-by malware and phishing pages that an average user may eventually fail to notice.

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