What is the “Is Visiting A More Convenient Way To Reach” email

The “Is Visiting A More Convenient Way To Reach” email falls into the sextortion email category. It’s part of a new campaign that tries to trick users into thinking the senders have sexually explicit videos of them. Email senders demand that recipients pay if they don’t want the videos to be sent to all contacts. But no matter how convincing the emails may seem, they’re nothing more than scams.

 

 

Sextortion emails are nothing new as they’ve been very common for the last 5 years or so. All sextortion emails follow a similar pattern, even when operated by different cybercriminal groups. However, every once in a while, malicious actors come up with a new tactic to convince users that the emails are legitimate. A now-common tactic was to reveal users’ passwords (stolen during data breaches). However, this particular “Is Visiting A More Convenient Way To Reach” email is using an entirely new tactic. To make the emails seem more convincing, scammers are inserting images of users’ streets or houses taken from apps like Google Maps and revealing users’ addresses. This may prove to be a very effective tactic because seeing their own addresses will certainly alarm many users and give the email credibility.

This “Is Visiting A More Convenient Way To Reach” email begins with the sender revealing the recipient’s home address and including a photo of the street. The image is altered to look like it was taken in person but it’s actually just a screenshot from Google Maps or a similar app. The text that follows is fairly standard for these email scams.

The sender immediately starts mocking the recipient for their browsing habits, particularly for supposedly watching pornography. They also claim to have infected the recipient’s device with the Pegasus malware, a legitimate piece of malware developed by an Israeli cyber-intelligence company NSO Group. The scammer proceeds to explain that the malware allowed them complete access to the infected device, including control over the microphone and web camera.

When the sender noticed that the recipient was supposedly browsing pornography websites, they recorded it. They also claim to have made a video, with one side showing the pornography video and the other showing the recipient watching the video. The scammer demands that the recipient pay $1,950 for the video not to be sent to all contacts.

The full text from the “Is Visiting A More Convenient Way To Reach” email is below:

Is visiting – a more convenient way to reach in case you don’t act

Have been here before?

I suggest you read this message carefully. Take a minute to relax, breathe, and really dig into it. ‘Cause we’re about to discuss a deal between you and me, and I don’t play games. You don’t know me but I know ALOT about you and you must be wondering how, correct?

Well, You’ve been treading on thin ice with your browsing habits, scrolling through those filthy videos and clicking on links, stumbling upon some not-so-safe sites. I actually placed a Spyware called “Pegasus” on a app you frequently use. Pegasus is a spyware that is designed to be covertly and remotely installed on mobile phones running iOS and Android. And while you were busy enjoying those videos, your smartphone initiated working as a RDP (Remote Control) which allowed me complete control over your device. I can look at everything on your display, flick on your cam and mic, and you wouldn’t even suspect a thing. Oh, and I’ve got access to all your emails, contacts, and social media accounts too.

What did I do?
Been keeping tabs on your pathetic life for a while now. It’s just your bad luck that I discovered your bad deeds. I gave in more days than I probably should have exploring into your personal life. Extracted quite a bit of juicy info from your system. and I’ve seen it all. Yeah, Yeah, I’ve got footage of you doing embarrassing things in your room (nice setup, by the way). I then developed videos and screenshots where on one side of the screen, there’s whatever garbage you had been playing, and on the other half, its someone jerking off.
With simply a click, I can send this garbage to every single of your contacts.

What should you do?
I see you are getting anxious, but let’s get real. In good faith, I want to wipe the slate clean, and allow you to continue with your life and forget you ever existed. I am about to offer you two options. Either ignore this warning (bad for you and your family) or pay me a small amount. Let us examine those two options in details.
Alternative one is to turn a deaf ear my e mail. Let us see what will happen if you opt this option. I will send your video to all of your contacts. The video was lit, and I can’t even fathom the humiliation you’ll endure when your colleagues, friends, and fam check it out. But hey, that’s life, ain’t it? Don’t be playing the victim
Wise Second Option is to pay me, and be confidential about it. We’ll call it my “privacy charges”. Lets discuss what happens if you opt this choice. Your dirty secret will remain private. I’ll destroy all the data and evidence once you send payment. You have to make the payment via Bitcoin only. Pay attention, I’m telling you straight:

‘We gotta make a deal’. I want you to know Im coming at you with good intentions. My promises are non-negotiable.

Transfer Amount: USD 1950
My BTC Address: 1NSaKPShj9t3rWVQBUit7VhBWmXUY8HHyC
Or, (Here’s your Bitcoin QR code, you can scan it):

Let me tell ya, it’s peanuts for your tranquility.

Important: You got one day to sort this out. (I’ve a unique pixel within this e-mail, and right now I know that you have read this email message). My system will catch that Bitcoin payment and wipe out all the dirt I got on you. Don’t even think about replying to this, it’s pointless. The email and wallet are custom-made for you, untraceable. I don’t make mistakes, Robert. If I suspect that you’ve shared or discussed this email with anyone abu, these or view is any se geting sept your contacts. And don’t even think about tuming off

Honestly, those online tips about covering your camera aren’t as useless as they seem.

Don’t dwell on it. Take it as a little lesson and keep your guard up in the future.

This sextortion email uses typical scare tactics. It uses demeaning language to try and shame users for their supposed pornography viewing habits, as well as uses various threats to pressure users. However, no matter how convincing these emails may seem, they are nothing more than scams.

If you receive this email, you can ignore it completely. There is no malware on your computer, nor has a video of you watching pornography been made.

How did scammers obtain your home address?

In an effort to make the scams more realistic, scammers reveal users’ personal information, including passwords, and in this case, home addresses. This is an effective tactic because many users may wonder how email senders know the information they do if not because of a malware infection. In reality, malicious actors buy this information from hacker forums and marketplaces. In this particular case, scammers also take a Google Maps image of the address and include it in the email. The photo may be edited to look like it was taken in person but that is not the case.

Unfortunately, if you received this particular email, both your email address and home address have been leaked. While email addresses are leaked all the time, a home address is a different matter. A significant breach has likely taken place recently and a lot of highly sensitive information was stolen.