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How to stop Pegasus Spyware email spam?

I’ve received an email saying:


Hello pervert, I've sent this message from your iCloud mail.


I want to inform you about a very bad situation for you. However, you can benefit from it, if you will act wisely.


Have you heard of Pegasus? This is a spyware program that installs on computers and smartphones and allows hackers to monitor the activity of device owners. It provides access to your webcam, messengers, emails, call records, etc. It works well on Android, iOS, and Windows. I guess, you already figured out where I'm getting at.


It's been a few months since I installed it on all your devices because you were not quite choosy about what links to click on the internet. During this period, l've learned about all aspects of your private life, but one is of special significance to me.

what is this about ??


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 13 Pro Max, iOS 17

Posted on May 24, 2024 12:14 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 1, 2024 9:37 AM

I’ve had an email sent from my own email address threatening contact everyone who has my address. They say they are using Pegasus and will release my information in two day. Would they normally send proof of what they say they have?



53 replies

Jul 25, 2024 8:01 AM in response to pattty3

pattty3 wrote:

I got the same message. They told me to not to contact the police. Lol I was talking a week ago with a guy from the home security. I will contacting him. I don’t have anything to hide. I am in the nurse school. Wow what a scammer. Asking to send money.


Yes, you very much do have things to hide. Everybody does. Not related to this “pervert” mail message and its creative fiction, but everybody has details best left unshared.


Some details to ponder: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2006/05/the_value_of_pr.html


In the medical field, patient info is best either not collected, securely deleted, or kept private, too.


Here? Mark as junk and get on with your life.


Sep 9, 2024 8:20 AM in response to gizzard16

Yep, entirely possible to gain that information from data on the internet. There have been many data breaches from a multitude of companies and you can find out if your data has been compromised by entering your email address. Some of the sites provided by those companies will give partial information so you can confirm if that data is actually yours. They even include partial SS# which may be correct or incorrect. Once they are able to get your address, then a Google Street view of your house is very easy.


These steps have all been automated by scammers and will gather this information and send it to you in an email to make you believe they have more information and demand money. This is a typical scare tactic and they do not have the information that they are claiming.

Sep 9, 2024 8:22 AM in response to gizzard16

The scammers sound more convincing due to the many data breaches over the past few years. The latest being a massive trove of Social Security data.


That gives crooks lots of information. One of the simplest is having your street address, which makes it drop dead easy to do a Google Maps search to get those pictures. Combine that with a valid email address and it all looks very convincing.


However, such as in your case, they don't really have enough information to zero the scam in. Like the incomplete SS number. Old street view images (which really just means the camera truck/car hasn't been through your area in a while).


At least you were aware it was a scam and knew to ignore it.

Sep 9, 2024 8:26 AM in response to gizzard16

gizzard16 wrote:

I agree it is a scam however they do have all my information in the email though the ss# is all x’d out but for the last two numbers which are wrong. Lastly a picture of the house across the road. Its a picture of pine trees along my neighbors backyard fence. Odd those trees were cut down over a year ago, which tells me it is a street view likely google maps. Google earth car drive by here about 2 years ago i remember this a security alert from a security camera on my fence the recorded it going west
Anyway my information is out on the web because of a Llc company I owned. But for the trees and the SSN I would probably believe the email. Nope no gottcha not this time


Anybody that tells you the social security number is secret is someone best ignored.


The de facto US national ID number — the social security number — is not a useful authenticator. It’s not secret.


(For some of us, the assigned number is entirely predictable, given a few other already-public details.)


The clues that this is a scam are the urgency, the use of fear, and the use of very basic advertising and propaganda techniques, and the lack of actual proof of anything outside of what amounts to public data and record. The one thing that this scam claims to have — those photos — they don't actually show.

Sep 12, 2024 10:54 AM in response to Linz23deport

scam my mail program marked as junk but the mail did not come from you he sticks your email as a header, if you view the source of his email , or the alleged one that came from your account you will see it actually come from this address from (me942.com unknown [109.172.38.168]) <==== with this IP. clearly not icloud. delete it and move on with your day nothing will happen.

Sep 12, 2024 7:58 PM in response to Marshu_boy

no they can't do anything to you they don't have access to your account Pegasus is not on your mac, mac security would ketch that, you are find delete the scam mail and move on. people saying pegasus is real yes it is very real but think about it why would it be on your mac, in order to install something on your mac you would yourself had to install it threw some link, but you would have known if you did for sure. or he would have had to have direct access to your mac. nothing is on your mac you are find. if you want peace of mind download the free version of malwarebytes run it and call it a day.

How to stop Pegasus Spyware email spam?

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