Camera hacks, any updates?

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Level 1

15 points

Camera hacks, any updates?

The last thread I saw on this ended in 2016.

I received what can only be described as a threatening email claiming a virus had been implanted and my camera had been hacked. The claim made was pretty weird, the language was non-native english (and not related to being from Belgium as the writer claimed; the email address country code was Hungary, surely nothing valid about any of it), and no mention was made of what my OS was, or anything specific to the machine or device of mine said to have been hacked.

Of course **** sites were mentioned, they claimed to have accessed my address book, etc, and bitcoin was demanded. Their threat was to send a video out to my address book contents.

It most resembled what I have heard about ransomware emails. Surely I could have done something in front of my camera that would be embarrassing at some point or points, who can be sure, especially with the advent of sw methodology to edit faces onto other bodies, etc.

One odd thing was that the email address used to reach me is not one I use many places. We have our own domain and make up unique addresses for leaving at sites, etc.

Does the light come on with any activation of apple/mac cameras, or can that be circumvented?

Has anyone heard of an iPad, iPhone or Macbook camera hack, recently? If it is something possible on any Apple devices then I'll have to use tape on my camera when orgies are going on, or I'll have to cut back.

Posted on Mar 13, 2018 12:53 AM

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Answer 1

TW2210 Author

Level 1

15 points

Mar 13, 2018 12:56 PM in response to Carolyn Samit

Scam unless jailbroken (no) or it happens all the time (hope not)? Talk about your 180° of difference....

Thank you both, but I am hoping for more input on my question. It's a little scary to think that the camera could come on without us knowing it.

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Answer 2

TW2210 Author

Level 1

15 points

Mar 14, 2018 10:46 PM in response to TW2210

OK, thank you, including all who responded. I did not read Carolyn's reply that way, but I am happy to have misunderstood in this case. It was the first time I have ever been subjected to attempted blackmail, disconcerting and time wasting, but evidently otherwise harmless.

Nothing came of the jerk's threat, and of course he did not get BTC$ from me but likely did from others. The incident did succeed in making me think more about the front camera, and I still wonder about how he got the email address he used to reach me, leaving me with concerns for the security of my address book and similar files, but the reality is that he likely hacked the address book of one of my correspondents. He or she, that is.

Can anyone tell me if the camera can be activated in any known way without the light coming on?

Rumors, scarms, viruses, Trojans, exploits, spam, et al, ad infinitum. Sometimes I wonder what the net (no pun intended) benefit is comparing modern tech to "before connected" methods, especially conidering the 1.5 mb DSL "service" where we are.

Off this topic, but perhaps of interest: I cannot use the arrow keys on my Logitech iPad Pro keyboard when writing on this forum. Using them instead causes the page to be moved around in very jumpy fashion, not the cursor. I have to use the touchscreen for repositioning the cursor here.

The keyboard has been a disappointment in other ways so my theory right now is to place blame there, unless I consider the dictation capability of Siri, which could lead me to believe Apple could be at fault for bad wx.

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