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Trojan virus threat

I was sent an e-mail supposedly from a hacker saying that my iPhone was infected with malware and now with a Trojan Virus they have full access to my phone including my camera.


They are threatening to send a video of me using my own they took unless I send them a load of money.


Usually I would dismiss as spam but it seemed very real. Obviously I'm not going to give them money, but I was just wondering whether this kind of thing is even possible?


I also got a new phone a couple of weeks ago, they say they've been "watching" me for months, so surely they'd have to hack into my new phone, it wouldn't transfer from one phone to another?


I've downloaded an anti-virus software following receiving the e-mail and there are no viruses detected, but this hacker is saying they already got me...does that mean it's gone or was never there to begin with?


Totally confused, can someone help please!

iPhone XR

Posted on Aug 29, 2019 7:37 AM

Reply
10 replies

Aug 30, 2019 6:25 AM in response to Pumpkin_19

You're welcome.


I got a less common scam call yesterday. It started out with a recorded message (that initially sounded like it was a real person) stating they were calling from some company name I'd never heard of before. After pattering on for 15 seconds or so about what they supposedly make and do, it asked a question that was unrelated to everything before it:


"Can you hear me okay?"


What they're trying to do is get you to say "Yes." From there a scammer will take the information they already have about you (name, address) and use that verbal answer as voice confirmation of a purchase, despite the obvious fact you never talked about purchasing anything.


Instead, I said "Maybe."


A few seconds of silence from the other end and (click), they hung up.

Aug 29, 2019 7:57 AM in response to Pumpkin_19

Any and all such calls, messages and emails are scams. The crook is also a complete idiot calling it a Trojan Virus. Trojans and viruses are entirely different types of malware. Putting them together is meaningless nonsense.


Unless you've jailbroken your iPhone, it's just short of impossible to infect one. Remove any AV software you've installed from the App Store. All of it - 100% of it - is pure, useless junk. iOS is a locked down OS. The only place iOS AV software can even look for anything is itself.


I've gotten this same basic email dozens of times. Let me guess, you have to send a random amount of money to a Bitcoin account.


Delete and ignore.

Aug 29, 2019 11:55 AM in response to Pumpkin_19

Haha! Yes, AV can mean either of two well known acronyms. But since you mentioned downloading anti-virus software, I figured you'd get that's the one I meant.


These emails seem personal because the crooks are using stolen data from the security breeches at many companies to get your name, current or old passwords, and other data that lends more realism to the messages.


You have absolutely nothing to worry about, as far as their threats. They have no video. And being crooks, what would stop them from releasing it anyway after you paid? And as a crook would usually do, they'd come back and say that's not enough. Pay xxx more or we'll still do it. They'll keep hounding the victim for money for as many times as they pay.


About the only thing you need to consider at all is if they mentioned having one of your passwords that may be current to a service you use. Typically, they don't know what the password is for. But if it is one you're using, change it at that site just to make what they have useless.

Trojan virus threat

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