SECURITY ALERT - Email extortion scam reported

CSIT has received reports via contacts at University of Nebraska - Lincoln of a new email extortion scam targeting accounts within their domain.  While we have not yet received reports of this scam targeting any NWU accounts, we have seen such scams in the past.  It seems, therefore, an opportunity to remind everyone of another type of malicious email scam.

In this scam, the sender of the email claims to know the recipient's account password..  The scammer claims that they will release embarrassing information, along with video captured through the recipient's computer camera, unless they are paid a specific amount of money.  They further claim that, if they do not receive the payment, they will release the video to all the contacts in the recipient's account.

The email and the threat are fraudulent. Extortion scams of this type have been widely reported by educational and other institutions.  Should you receive a message like the one described here, you should not respond to it in any way and certainly should not make any payment.  If you suspect that your account has been compromised, you should change your account password(s) immediately and contact CSIT for additional assistance.  Please do not hesitate to  contact CSIT regarding any suspicious email before taking attempting any response.