Remove “Have You Heard Of Hermit” email

The “Have You Heard Of Hermit” email is part of a sextortion campaign that tries to scare users into transferring money to scammers. The email claims that malware is present on the recipients’ computers, which has allowed the sender to film them watching pornography. They threaten to send the videos to all contacts unless users agree to pay $865. The whole email is merely a scam, and if you get it, you can safely ignore it. There is no malware on your device, nor have you been filmed via your webcam.

 

 

Sextortion scam emails are incredibly common, and nearly every user whose email address has been leaked will receive one at some point. Although these scams may be run by different groups of cybercriminals, they typically share similar characteristics. The emails usually start with attention-grabbing subject lines designed to alarm recipients, followed by intimidating walls of text that threaten users. They claim that the recipient’s computer has been infected with malware, enabling the attackers to monitor activities, steal personal information, and even activate the webcam or microphone.

This particular “Have You Heard Of Hermit” email has a very alarming subject line, which is bound to worry many users. After all, an email with the subject of “Don’t forget about your unpaid amount. Pay your debt now. #676105” sounds scary. If users open the email, they will see a long piece of text falsely explaining that the recipient’s computer has been infected with a spyware program called Hermit. The malware supposedly allowed the sender to gain access to the infected computer, including the ability to turn on the webcam/microphone. The sender claims to have noticed the recipient’s preference for “questionable” adult videos, which prompted them to make a video of the recipient watching said videos. The sender threatens to send the video to all contacts unless the recipient agrees to pay $865 in Bitcoin.

We should mention that there is spyware called Hermit, but in this case, its name is merely used to scare users. If users were to look into the malware, they would find alarming results, as this malware has very malicious features. In general, the whole email is written in a way that elicits fear, using a very mocking tone. Scared and anxious users are much more likely to follow the instructions.

It goes without saying that this email is nothing more than a scam. There is no malware on your computer, and no video of you watching pornography has been made. The whole contents of the email are false.

The full “Have You Heard Of Hermit” email is below:

Subject: Don’t forget about your unpaid amount. Pay your debt now. #676105

Hello,

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 Hermit? 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, I’ve learned about all aspects of your private life, but one is of special significance to me.

I’ve recorded many videos of you jerking off to highly controversial porn videos. Given that the “questionable” genre is almost always the same, I can conclude that you have sick perversion.

I doubt you’d want your friends, family and co-workers to know about it. However, I can do it in a few clicks.

Every number in your contact book will suddenly receive these videos – on WhatsApp, on Telegram, on Skype, on email – everywhere. It is going to be a tsunami that will sweep away everything in its path, and first of all, your former life.

Don’t think of yourself as an innocent victim. No one knows where your perversion might lead in the future, so consider this a kind of deserved punishment to stop you.
Better late than never.

I’m some kind of God who sees everything. However, don’t panic. As we know, God is merciful and forgiving, and so do I. But my mercy is not free.

Transfer $865 USD to my bitcoin wallet: bc1qccn0kqy4etmx7uyscchv8j4dth3jdanpjdk7ge

Once I receive confirmation of the transaction, I will permanently delete all videos compromising you, uninstall Hermit from all of your devices, and disappear from your life. You can be sure – my benefit is only money. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be writing to you, but destroy your life without a word in a second.

I’ll be notified when you open my email, and from that moment you have exactly 48 hours to send the money. If cryptocurrencies are unchartered waters for you, don’t worry, it’s very simple. Just google “crypto exchange” and then it will be no harder than buying some useless stuff on Amazon.

I strongly warn you against the following:

1) Do not contact the police. I have access to all your devices, and as soon as I find out you ran to the cops, videos will be published.
2) Don’t try to reset or destroy your devices.

As I mentioned above: I’m monitoring all your activity, so you either agree to my terms or the videos are published.

Also, don’t forget that cryptocurrencies are anonymous, so it’s impossible to identify me using the provided address.
Good luck, my perverted friend. I hope this is the last time we hear from each other.

And some friendly advice: from now on, don’t be so careless about your online security.

How do scammers obtain users’ email addresses?

Sextortion scam campaigns generally target users whose email addresses have been leaked in data breaches. Unfortunately, email addresses are among the most commonly leaked pieces of information. These addresses are frequently sold on hacking forums to cybercriminals, who use them for their malicious purposes. Thus, if you happen to receive a sextortion email, it’s likely because your email address has been leaked, rather than due to any infection on your device. A good resource for checking if your email has been part of a data breach is haveibeenpwned. While preventing such leaks can be difficult, being aware of any breaches involving your email can help you exercise caution with unsolicited emails, particularly those with attachments or links.

You should also keep in mind that some sextortion emails may contain your phone numbers and passwords. In many cases, this information is accurate, which is what makes these scams more believable. However, there’s a simple explanation for how such information appears in sextortion emails. Just like email addresses, passwords, and phone numbers can also be leaked. If you see your password or phone number in a sextortion email, it means this information has been exposed by a service you use. If the leaked password is one you still use, change it immediately. It’s also a good idea to avoid reusing passwords; if one account is compromised, it could grant hackers access to others using the same password. If managing strong passwords proves difficult, consider using a password manager to help.