There are plenty of important ethical issues surrounding porn, but it’s hard to talk about those when we can’t even admit we’re watching it in the first place. Obviously, everyone’s doing it (even people we’d really rather not know are doing it), but the stigmas remain. And this refusal to acknowledge what’s a fairly basic fact of life in 2018 is now being capitalized on, in the form of a blackmail scam.
As reported by Business Insider, the Black Mirror-esque scam works like this. You receive an email with one of your old passwords in the subject line. If you’re foolish enough to open it, you’ll find a “hacker” claiming to have video of what you’re watching and webcam video of what you’re doing while you watch. Pay up with some Bitcoin or your spouse/boss/mom will soon discover your fetishes! In some cases, the “hacker” claims to have evidence of adultery instead, but the premise is the same.
The old passwords come from the (all too) numerous data breaches that have forced you to change your passwords over the years. The “hackers” have nothing: They’re gambling you’ll be too embarrassed and scared to risk it, that you’re foolish enough to use the same password for everything, and give them the money out of shame. Just to rub it in, it appears that this is automated; yes, the scammer isn’t even bothering to use a bespoke email to rip you off.
In short, treat it like any other email from a stranger: Don’t trust the scheme and definitely don’t click any links or send them any Bitcoin. Your weird fetishes probably will be discovered in time, but it’s more likely to come from you leaving a tab open than a complicated webcam hack.
(via Business Insider)