This iteration of the common blackmail sextortion scam e-mail has some interesting points to it. In that, I guess to prevent a text search, many of the letters have been replaced with “accented” characters that would be common in non-English languages. Some of the language is slightly different as well but the gist is the same: they allege to have video captured from a webcam via malware, and they’ll do the “right thing” and delete it if you pay them. Here’s the e-mail with relevant portions redacted:
i am awáre [redacted] is yoŭr pass words. Lets get right to point. No one has paid me to check you. You do not know me ánd you’re probably thinking why you are getting this mail?
i placed a malware őn the 18+ strěáming (porn material) web site and do you knőw what, yőu vĺsited thĺs wěb sĺte to have fun (yőu know whát ĺ mean). When yoŭ were vĺewĺng viděo clips, your wěb browser started out őpěrating as a RDP with a kěy loggěr which gave me accěss to yőur display screen and also web cam. Right after thát, my softwáre prőgram obtáĺned all yoŭr contacts from your Měssenger, sőciál networks, and emailaccoŭnt. Něxt i crěatěd a double video. 1st párt shows the videő yőu werě viewing (yőu háve a nicě taste hehe), and second párt shőws the recording of yőŭr webcám, yeah it is u.
Yoŭ actually have two alternatĺves. Why dont we look at each one of these sőlutions in dětails:
1st álternativě is to neglect thĺs e-mail. as a consequencě, i most certainly will send oŭt your actual tápe to ěach one of your personal contacts ánd then imagině concěrning the embarrassment that you receĺve. ánd ás a cőnsequencě in case yoŭ are in án affair, exactly how it wĺll cěrtainly áffect?
other solution wĺll be to pay me $1458. i will thĺnk of it as a dőnation. Then, i most certáinly will immediately erase your viděo recording. Yőu will cárry on yőur life lĺke this nevěr őccurred ánd you surěly will něver hěar back again from me.
You will make the payment by Bitcoin (ĺf you do not know this, search ‘how to buy bitcőin’ in Googlě search engině).
BTC address to sěnd tő:
15cQ4pPBdVCXvVEXH2MF9fHCdJp1szmBFu
[CáSě-SeNSiTiVě, copy & pástě it]if you may be lőoking at gőing to the police, very wěll, this maĺl cán nőt be tráced back to me. i have takěn care of my steps. i am not looking to ask you főr much, i prefer to be paid. You have two days to makě the payment. i’vě a ŭnĺque pĺxěl withĺn this mail, ánd at this moment i knőw that you have read this message. ĺf i dőn’t receive the BitCőins, i wĺll cěrtaĺnly send out yőŭr video to all of your contacts inclŭding relatives, cőlleagues, ánd mány others. Nevěrtheless, if ĺ receive the payment, i’ll erase the videő rĺght away. ĺf you wánt tő háve ěvĺdencě, rěply Yes ánd i will certainly send oŭt yőur viděő recordĺng to yőŭr 9 contacts. Thĺs is the non-negőtiable offěr so pleáse do not wastě my personal time and yőŭrs by replying tő this e-máil.
This doesn’t change the fact it’s a scam e-mail. They can do all the letter substitution they want to fool text search algorithms, but I still know it’s a scam in the same vein as all the others I’ve received.
