Yahoo Finance Warning over ‘distressing’ new myGov email
If you receive this email from ‘myGov’, delete it.
Scammers are posing as myGov and threatening to expose Aussies’ intimate information unless a ransom is paid.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Scamwatch has warned Aussies to beware of the fake emails circulating, which claim to be sent from a myGov email address.
The email threatens to share intimate videos of the recipient unless they make a ‘debt payment’ within 48 hours.
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“I am sorry to inform you of some distressing news,” the scam email reads.
“A few months ago, I gained access to all the devices you use to browse the internet and have been monitoring your online activity ever since.”
The scammer claims they have logged into the recipient’s email account and installed a Trojan virus onto their devices, allowing them to access their camera, microphone, keyboard and other controllers.
They then claim to have recorded explicit videos of the recipient and threaten to share them with their contacts if they don’t pay up.
“Please do not attempt to contact the police…I recommend that you change all your passwords regularly to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future,” the email concludes.
Delete it
Scamwatch has issued a warning about the fake emails and told Aussies to delete them.
“Be wary of emails claiming to be from 'myGov' threatening to share explicit info about you to your contacts unless you pay money,” Scamwatch said.
“The government will never threaten you or ask you to pay money via cryptocurrency. Don't respond, just delete.”
Scamwatch recommends keeping your computer security up to date with anti-virus and anti-spyware software and a good firewall. However, it says to only buy software from reputable sources.
Aussies have reported more than 2,000 threat and extortion scams to Scamwatch this year and have lost more than $5.7 million to the scams.
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