'I'm a programmer who hacked your email' SCAM - How to remove

Is ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ message a scam

The internet forums, like Reddit or Whirpool.net, have been buzzing for at least a couple days right now from all the commotion that ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ fake message have caused. Hundreds of people are looking for answers and sharing their cases of the scam, who supposedly came from their own email account and claims to know their current or previous password.

While at first it indeed looks worrisome, ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ scam is just the upgraded version of previous scams like ‘Hacked inbox’, ‘It seems that your password is’, ‘Hello! My nickname in darknet is’, ‘Installed RAT software’, which were roaming around the cyber world since the beginning of 2018 and some even since 2017. Although these scams may not look the same, and the message is different, there are a lot of similarities, which allows relating these bogus emails, and also recognizing improved tactics.

Since the previous messages were not so convincing and most users just end up deleting them, hackers had to change up their strategies and catch the attention of victims by Scaring them good enough. This is why the new set of scams were sent with victim’s username and password. Sometimes it would match the email and sometimes the login data would be from some other website that the user has an account with. This was terrifying enough, even though most people had these displayed passwords changed already. The ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ scam would start with a title saying ‘Account is compromised. Password must be changed’ and look like this:

Hello!

I’m a programmer who cracked your email account and device about half year ago. You entered a password on one of the insecure site you visited, and I catched it. Your password from [email protected] on moment of crack: xxxxxx

Of course you can will change your password, or already made it. But it doesn’t matter, my rat software update it every time.
Please don’t try to contact me or find me, it is impossible, since I sent you an email from your email account.

Through your e-mail, I uploaded malicious code to your Operation System. I saved all of your contacts with friends, colleagues, relatives and a complete history of visits to the Internet resources. Also I installed a rat software on your device and long tome spying for you.

You are not my only victim, I usually lock devices and ask for a ransom.But I was struck by the sites of intimate content that you very often visit.
I  am in shock of your reach fantasies! Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this! I did not even know that SUCH content could be so exciting!

So, when you had fun on intime sites (you know what I mean!)
I made screenshot with using my program from your camera of yours device.
After that, I jointed them to the content of the currently viewed site.

Will be funny when I send these photos to your contacts! And if your relatives see it?
BUT I’m sure you don’t want it. I definitely would not want to …

I will not do this if you pay me a little amount. I think $888 is a nice price for it!
I accept only Bitcoins.
My BTC wallet: xxxxxxxx

If you have difficulty with this – Ask Google “how to make a payment on a bitcoin wallet”. It’s easy. After receiving the above amount, all your data will be immediately removed automatically. My virus will also will be destroy itself from your operating system.

My Trojan have auto alert, after this email is looked, I will be know it!

You have 2 days (48 hours) for make a payment. If this does not happen – all your contacts will get crazy shots with your dirty life! And so that you do not obstruct me, your device will be locked (also after 48 hours)

Do not take this frivolously! This is the last warning! Various security services or antiviruses won’t help you for sure (I have already collected all your data).

Here are the recommendations of a professional:
Antiviruses do not help against modern malicious code. Just do not enter your passwords on unsafe sites!

I hope you will be prudent.
Bye.

Some victims mentioned that their demanded ransom amount would slightly differ but still range around $800, just like the crypto wallet address. The added login data, no matter that is was not always correct, scared so many people, that crooks in a few weeks managed to colled over several thousand dollars, judging from the transfers to their mentioned virtual wallets. Despite hackers having to pay for all the breached data on the DarkNet, this has paid off and brought a profit, which is increasing every minute.

Right now, crooks are using the following Bitcoin addresses to receive blackmailed ransom (seebitcoinabuse.com reports from victims):

• ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’:

1DVU5Q2HQ4srFNSSaWBrVNMtL4pvBkfP5w
1PL9ewB1y3iC7EyuePDoPxJjwC4CgAvWTo
1EZS92K4xJbymDLwG4F7PNF5idPE62e9XY
1HQ7wGdA5G9qUtM8jyDt5obDv1x3vEvjCy
17XHRucfd4kx3W5ty7ySLGiKHqmPUUdpus
1JTtwbvmM7ymByxPYCByVYCwasjH49J3Vj
1GcwYRfWesiSe2fBmsVSpNG2K11zDMhksG
1LZQGS99RUCvQvT5Qce7LkrWtMtcXPSdWZ
1NXNt72qfMhPZDffUEqryCYpEUzyR6LmgHAs

• ‘Hacked inbox’:

1EZS92K4xJbymDLwG4F7PNF5idPE62e9XY
1YnYAxprVrTo1WzPPzMo86ste5Ssp4xsy

• ‘Installed RAT software’:

13cyEdT7kyH2f4j9xchvDGhv1o64MYNLUS

• ‘It seems, that xxxxx is your password’:

1BARBfTXdwaRenZjcG8t2LAsbQm6abfw13

• ‘Hello! My nickname in darknet is’:

1NXNt72qfMhPZDffUEqryCYpEUzyR6LmgH
1FHPbKHcSx9CaXJzDpLoXG733ipQ77UNx9

‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ scam reached all kinds of emails – Yahoo, Gmail, Live.com or even business and work mailboxes. Some people got more than a few identical messages the same day. This new wave of massive blackmailing/sextortion scam caused a big fuss amongst the online community, but should not be feared at all, because it is a regular scam and can be solved without having to pay anyone.

Why did you receive ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ scam

Between 2005 and 2017 there have been more than 8000 breaches according to Opswat.com. You probably have heard about a few, such as the most famous data leak of 3 billion Yahoo accounts in 2013, then eBay scandal of 145 million breached passwords in 2014 or Equifax data hacking and theft of 143 million Americans’ personal information. Although companies patched the issues and reported the breaches, yet a lot of users were not aware of what happened to their personal data, especially after the less famous online thefts and did not make any changes in their accounts. 

Undoubtedly most of this information is coming from the DeepWeb, where the anonymous figures, like the infamous hacker ‘Peace’, share their hacked information for a certain fee, for example, 117 million LinkedIn logins only for only 0,5 BTC ($3000). Overall there are more than 1.4 billion hacked and leaked passwords on the darknet for purchase, as Forbes.com shows. So this isn’t surprising that so many people are getting such nasty emails. 

These ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ scams is not the first version of similar fake blackmailing emails and have been sent to users from all around the world. However, the most affected victims are from the United States, simply because their data was breached more often, eg. Equifax, than in foreign countries. Additionally, crooks don’t have to adjust by making bogus email translations to other languages and can go far blackmailing in English. Yet similar emails were written in Polish.

What to do if you get ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ message

When ‘I’m a programmer who hacked your email’ message reaches your inbox, it is imperative to calm yourself and start thinking logically. No matter if the crooks demonstrate that they have your actual password, which was most likely breached years ago, do not pay them any ransom. This email is just a scam and hackers do not have the rest of the information that they try to threaten you with. Scammers already blackmailed enough money from the worried victims, so paying them will only escalate their evil behavior. Just ignore the bogus email and do the following.

Firstly, we recommend changing your most important account passwords immediately to a new one which you have never used before in any of your other accounts, moreover, it would best to have a different login information to each website. Take a look at this article on How to create a strong password and not forget it if you need some ideas. Additionally turn on two-factor authentication on all possible accounts. 

Secondly, take some time to do a thorough investigation on Haveibeenpwned.com website. When you enter your email, the site tells you which major data breaches could have affected your email address, so you will know which other accounts require your immediate attention and password change.

Lastly, take your time and manage all other login data. Not only on the internet but other places as well. Make sure that there is no suspicious activity on your bank accounts, computers, devices and etc. Here are 7 steps you can take after a data breach to make sure that your security was restored. While you cannot prevent your data from being stolen from the major companies, you can, however, ensure that you are not unknowingly allowing hackers to gather your personal information straight from your computer by using Spyhunter (to keep keyloggers away) and never logging in from indirectly to any site.