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Bitcoin Bomb Threat Scam Circulating

posted by martyb on Friday December 14 2018, @06:36AM   Printer-friendly
from the best-conspiracy-theory-wins dept.

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Heavy.com reports that there have been a number of email bomb threats sent out demanding blackmail payments in bitcoin. An example of one message follows:

"Good day. My mercenary has carried the bomb (lead azide) into the building where your business is conducted. My mercenary built the explosive device under my direction. It can be hidden anywhere because of its small size, it is impossible to destroy the supporting building structure by this explosive device, but if it denotates there will be many wounded people.

My recruited person is watching the situation around the building. If he notices any suspicious activity, panic or cops the device will be blown up.

I can call off my man if you make a transfer 20,000 usd is the price for your safety and business. Transfer it to me in Bitcoin and I assure that I have to withdraw my mercenary and the bomb will not detonate. But do not try to deceive me – my guarantee will become valid only after 3 confirmations in blockchain."

So does this sound like somebody who speaks English natively? Can you predict where this is coming from? Can you predict what kind of person sent this? Can you predict what kind of mess this is going to create? Who are you betting is really behind this?

Also at The Register, threatpost, Krebs on Security, and Ars Technica.

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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by stretch611 on Friday December 14 2018, @12:48PM (2 children)

    by stretch611 (6199) on Friday December 14 2018, @12:48PM (#774359)

    I have been getting the same... including the watching internet porn...

    Oooohh!!! Scary... he hacked my router /s

    According to the reverse DNS of the IP in the headers, it is coming from Singapore.

    MobileOne Ltd. Mobile/Internet Service Provider Singapore

    The only one I currently have in my (recently emptied) spam folder is this:

    Hello!

    I have very bad news for you.
    19/08/2018 - on this day I hacked your OS and got full access to your account xxxx@xxxx.net

    So, you can change the password, yes... But my malware intercepts it every time.

    How I made it:
    In the software of the router, through which you went online, was a vulnerability.
    I just hacked this router and placed my malicious code on it.
    When you went online, my trojan was installed on the OS of your device.

    After that, I made a full dump of your disk (I have all your address book, history of viewing sites, all files, phone numbers and addresses of all your contacts).

    A month ago, I wanted to lock your device and ask for a not big amount of btc to unlock.
    But I looked at the sites that you regularly visit, and I was shocked by what I saw!!!
    I'm talk you about sites for adults.

    I want to say - you are a BIG pervert. Your fantasy is shifted far away from the normal course!

    And I got an idea....
    I made a screenshot of the adult sites where you have fun (do you understand what it is about, huh?).
    After that, I made a screenshot of your joys (using the camera of your device) and glued them together.
    Turned out amazing! You are so spectacular!

    I'm know that you would not like to show these screenshots to your friends, relatives or colleagues.
    I think $718 is a very, very small amount for my silence.
    Besides, I have been spying on you for so long, having spent a lot of time!

    Pay ONLY in Bitcoins!
    My BTC wallet: 1MbdGY1LVr6gEjyN3Rok5HQDQcjWbYmLds

    You do not know how to use bitcoins?
    Enter a query in any search engine: "how to replenish btc wallet".
    It's extremely easy

    For this payment I give you two days (48 hours).
    As soon as this letter is opened, the timer will work.

    After payment, my virus and dirty screenshots with your enjoys will be self-destruct automatically.
    If I do not receive from you the specified amount, then your device will be locked, and all your contacts will receive a screenshots with your "enjoys".

    I hope you understand your situation.
    - Do not try to find and destroy my virus! (All your data, files and screenshots is already uploaded to a remote server)
    - Do not try to contact me (this is not feasible, I sent you an email from your account)
    - Various security services will not help you; formatting a disk or destroying a device will not help, since your data is already on a remote server.

    P.S. You are not my single victim. so, I guarantee you that I will not disturb you again after payment!
    This is the word of honor hacker

    I also ask you to regularly update your antiviruses in the future. This way you will no longer fall into a similar situation.

    Do not hold evil! I just do my job.
    Have a nice day!

    --
    Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
    Starting Score:    1  point
    Moderation   +1  
       Interesting=1, Total=1
    Extra 'Interesting' Modifier   0  
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  
    Total Score:   3  

  • (Score: 2) by stretch611 on Friday December 14 2018, @12:51PM

    by stretch611 (6199) on Friday December 14 2018, @12:51PM (#774360)

    I forgot to mention...

    He is right about one thing...

    I am a BIG Pervert.

    But heck, this is the internet... perverts are easy to find online.

    --
    Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P

  • (Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Friday December 14 2018, @03:26PM

    by nobu_the_bard (6373) on Friday December 14 2018, @03:26PM (#774426)

    Most of these spam the source doesn't really matter.

    It's almost always from a hacked website someone set up for their business venture that didn't work out 5 years ago that they completely forgot about because it autocharges $2 a month to their credit card thanks to its near zero traffic. At least until the host contacts them or they see the bill for $500 next month and investigate.

    I'm only sort of joking. It's really really common. Downside of everyone and their dog having an unmaintained websites left over from the 1990s-2000s.

    If you can afford to, try to accept less mail from abroad though, if your spam solution allows it. It won't solve the problem but it helps. Most spammers deliberately try to target people in other countries to make it harder for law enforcement, who both have to deal with jurisdiction problems and kind of not totally caring about jerk spammers on other continents or people that get duped from other countries.