WA Consumer Watchdog Warned that Scammers Using Malware and Webcams to Blackmail Internauts

According to a warning issued by West Australian (WA) consumer watchdog, fraudsters are employing malware and webcams to capture pictures of their victims and then threatening them while posturing as Police, as per news published by Adelaidenow.com.au on 5th September, 2013.

WA issued a warning following a mother at Perth reported that a photo of her 13-year-old daughter was taken when their computer was tainted with a ransomware and the scammer was pretending as an of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Officer.

The photograph is flaunted as a popup warning claiming that the PC has been locked by the AFP or other international law enforcement agencies and the victims are asked to compensate a penalty to unbolt it.

In another scam of blackmailing, victims are take care of through dating and social networking websites and persuaded to shred or act in a sexual manner in front of the webcam. The scammers make a video film of the act with the help of ransomware and then they demand money in exchange of the video film.

They also terrorize to make public the film if the ransom is not disbursed to them.

Adelaidenow.com.au published a report on 5th September, 2013 quoting Anne Driscoll, Commissioner for Consumer Protection as saying that the poignant toll on the victims can be huge owed to fear of awkwardness especially for the young victims."

The Australian Crime Commission in recent times identified ransomware as a fresh frontier for cyber gangs and it has become an evolving menace to Australia's 12 million Internet subscribers.

The Police and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (APCC) have been inundated with victims call for ransomware.

Northweststar.com.au publishes news in third week of August 2013 quoting warnings by Commander Glen McEwan, Operation Manager of AFP Cybercrime as "ransomware has developed over the past one-eighty days avoiding detection by some spam filters, anti-virus software and firewalls".

Commander McEwan said "The Australian community is reminded that the Australian Federal Police does not request for any finances and this communication has not arrived from AFP."

He also urged victims to report to ACCC official website SCAMwatch as regards any cyber fraud.

» SPAMfighter News - 9/12/2013