Don’t Fear “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” Scam Emails

The “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” email scam is a deceptive phishing campaign cybercriminals are unleashing on unsuspecting victims. This fraudulent email claims to have compromising footage of you to extort money. Here’s what you need to know about spotting and stopping this scam.

Overview of the Scam

The “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” phishing email starts off addressing the recipient as “my prey” and claims to have private videos and information about you. The message alleges that malware installed on your device gave the hackers access to your webcam and recorded inappropriate videos of you.

The email goes on to threaten sending the supposed embarrassing video footage and your personal data to all your contacts if you don’t pay a ransom fee of $500 or more in Bitcoin within 24 hours. It provides a Bitcoin wallet address to submit payment to.

Of course, the scammers never truly accessed your system or have any videos of you. The email is completely fake, sent en masse in hopes of scaring some victims into paying up. Here’s an example:

Hi, my prey. This is my last warning.

I write you since I attached a trojan on the web site with porno which you have viewed. My trojan captured all your private data and switched on your camera which recorded the act of your solitary sex. Just after that the trojan saved your contact list.

I will erase the compromising video records and info if you transfer 710 United States Dollars in bitcoin.

This is address for payment: 1DvEgCFc6MHsbajRvkctjUPAPtn51b6DcN

I give you 24 hours after you open my message for making the payment. As soon as you read the message I’ll see it right away. It is not necessary to tell me that you have sent money to me. This address is connected to you, my system will erased automatically after transfer confirmation.

*If you need 40h just Open the calculator and type +,+. *

If you don’t pay, I’ll send dirt to all your contacts. Let me remind you – I see what you’re doing. If you try to deceive me, I’ll know it immediately. I don’t live in your country. Bye. Don’t forget about the shame and to ignore, your life can be ruined.

This is what the “My Prey” phishing scam looks like. Here’s how the crooks carry out this deceitful extortion campaign.

How the “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” Scam Works

The cybercriminals behind this scam email rely on devious social engineering techniques to extort money from victims. Here is the step-by-step process:

1. Obtain Email Addresses

Scammers acquire huge lists of potential victims’ email addresses through various underhanded tactics, including:

• Buying stolen email lists on the black market dark web
• Hacking into websites and databases to steal account info
• Using email harvesting tools to scrape addresses found online
• Exploiting security weaknesses in sites to access user data
• Getting email lists leaked from data breaches

With thousands of email addresses compiled, they can launch wide-scale scam campaigns.

2. Craft a Threatening Extortion Email

The criminals carefully compose the phishing email to maximize intimidation and provoke panic. The message refers to the recipient as “my prey” to invoke vulnerability.

The email claims the scammers infected your device with malware from an adult site that let them access your webcam and contacts. They threaten to send embarrassing video footage supposedly captured of you masturbating to all your contacts unless you pay within 24 hours.

3. Spoof the Sender’s Email Address

The scammers use technical tricks to mask where the email truly originates from. They spoof the sender address so the email appears to come from your own email account rather than the scammer’s address.

Seeing your own email address in the “From” field makes the message seem more legit and lends credibility to claims they hacked your system.

4. Provide Bitcoin Payment Instructions

Payment is demanded through Bitcoin, since it offers more anonymity compared to traditional financial accounts and transactions. The email includes a Bitcoin wallet address and payment amount.

Bitcoin allows victims to easily pay the ransom while avoiding bank transactions that have more security measures and paper trails. This enables the crooks to collect payments anonymously.

5. Wait for Victims to Pay Up

After blasting out countless threatening emails, the scammers simply wait for panicked recipients to submit payments to the Bitcoin addresses provided. Even a low response rate still means substantial ill-gotten gains.

The crooks never actually possess or distribute any compromising videos of victims, since the entire extortion premise is fabricated. Their only goal is to swindle people out of money.

How to Spot This Scam Email

Though these extortion emails may seem legitimate, there are ways to discern the scam:

• Sender Address – The scammers often spoof the sender address to appear as your own email. But you can check the full header to see the true originating address.
• Poor Grammar/Spelling – Phony emails tend to contain linguistic errors and awkward phrasings. Legitimate companies will have proper writing.
• Threatening Language – No lawful business would threaten to illegally share supposed videos taken of you if payment isn’t received.
• Sense of Urgency – Scams impose short timeframes like 24-48 hours to pay. Valid notices provide reasonable periods to take action.
• Bitcoin Ransom Demands – Real companies won’t insist you pay untraceable bitcoin to avoid consequences. This is shady.
• No Proof Provided – The email won’t include any evidence that your device was compromised or videos were obtained.
• Outrageous Claims – Statements like recording you without consent via malware are absurd things no real company would openly admit.
• Promises to “Erase” Info – A legitimate company would not be able to magically erase malware infections or videos after a bitcoin payment.
• Threats to Expose You – No lawful business would threaten reputation damage by sharing private material if demands aren’t met.

Stay vigilant and use common sense when scrutinizing any questionable email. Do further verification on the company to validate an email’s authenticity before acting on anything.

What to Do If You’re Targeted by This Scam

Here are important steps to take if you receive this “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” phishing email demanding Bitcoin:

Don’t Pay the Ransom

Regardless of how intimidating the email seems, do not pay the ransom under any circumstances. The scammers never truly accessed your system or have any videos of you. Paying them will only fund more scam operations.

Report the Email as Phishing

Forward the scam email to your email provider’s abuse department so they can block the fraudulent account. Reporting phishing scams disrupts their infrastructure.

Run Anti-Virus Software

It’s unlikely any malware is on your device as claimed, but running an anti-virus scan removes any potential threats present. Make sure your security software is up-to-date.

Change Passwords and Enable 2FA

Reset the passwords for your email account and other critical online accounts, making them long and strong. Turn on two-factor authentication for an extra layer of security.

Watch for Suspicious Activity

Monitor financial statements closely for any strange transactions or charges. Keep an eye out for odd occurrences that could indicate a genuine compromise, like unknown login attempts.

Ignore Follow-Up Extortion Emails

If the first scam email goes unpaid, the crooks may send more threats demanding Bitcoin. Ignore these – engaging with scammers leads to more harassment.

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Frequently Asked Questions About the “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” Email Scam

This phishing scam raises many concerns. Here are answers to key questions recipients have about the fraudulent “My Prey” extortion email.

What is the “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” email scam?

This is a phishing campaign where scammers send emails alleging they hacked your device and recorded illicit videos through your webcam to blackmail you into paying them bitcoin. But it’s completely fabricated with no truth behind the threats.

How does the “My Prey” Bitcoin extortion scam work exactly?

The email claims malware let them access your webcam and contacts. It threatens to share supposed embarrassing videos unless you pay the bitcoin ransom in 24 hours. In reality, no such videos exist – the criminals are just deceiving you.

Are the hackers’ claims in the “My Prey” email real?

No, the scammers have not compromised your device, recorded you, or obtained any private data as claimed. It’s all lies intended to scare you into paying. The criminals never actually gained access to your system or accounts.

Should I pay the bitcoin ransom the “My Prey” email demands?

No, never pay ransoms to unknown scammers, especially through untraceable bitcoin. The threats are 100% fake. Paying them fuels these criminal operations to continue scamming others.

What if I already paid the bitcoin ransom from the “My Prey” email?

If you did already pay, contact your bank and the bitcoin exchange you used to see if the transaction can be stopped or reversed. You can also report it to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

How are the scammers getting people’s email addresses?

These scams cast wide nets, acquiring thousands of emails through buying stolen data online, hacking websites, phishing sites, email scraping tools, and other deceptive methods.

How can I recognize this “My Prey” phishing scam?

Look for poor grammar, anonymous bitcoin payment demands, threats and deadlines, the alarming tone, claims of recording you illegally, lack of details/evidence, and other signs of phishing.

What should I do if I get the “My Prey” extortion email?

Do not pay anything. Report the email as phishing to your email provider. Scan devices for malware and reset passwords as a precaution. Monitor financial statements for misuse and watch for other odd activity.

How can I keep safe from this scam?

Using strong unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication, keeping software updated, and being vigilant against phishing can help protect you. Anti-virus and backing up data are also good precautions.

Who can I contact if I am targeted by this “My Prey” scam?

You can report these phishing scams to the Anti-Phishing Working Group (info@apwg.org), Google Safe Browsing, PhishTank, and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).

The Bottom Line

The “My Prey, This is My Last Warning” email scam preys on victims’ fears of compromising footage being leaked. In reality, the scammers never accessed your system – they simply hope to intimidate recipients into paying Bitcoin ransoms.

Recognize these messages as fraudulent extortion attempts. Avoid falling for demanding threats, report the phishing scams, and implement stronger security practices. Make others aware of cybercriminal tactics to help prevent these scams from claiming more victims.