Bitcoin blackmail - how to recognize it?

Bitcoin-related scams

Repeatedly, BTC has been used for both ransom and money laundering. Unfortunately, the adaptation of cryptocurrencies has also affected criminals and currently does not affect only large companies or corporations, because, for example, Bitcoin is also used by small hackers, including to emails and blackmail. It is an increasingly popular topic that affects more and more people. These are e-mails containing information that the alleged address has hacked the recipient's computer, has been watching it for some time, has been collecting information and has recordings that are supposed to ridicule the recipient.

The topic of viewed pornographic sites appears the most frequently. The addressee also claims that he uses tools that prevent detection and provides a Bitcoin address to which the recipient must transfer the appropriate, usually not too high, amount in BTC. Otherwise, the alleged recordings will be sent to contractors, family and management of the company. The e-mail can be a scare indeed, and since the extortionist expects a value of $ 200-300, sometimes the recipient is willing to pay that cost in exchange for peace of mind.

Bitcoin Blackmail - How To Avoid?

But is it worth giving in to such blackmail? Are they really real? Probably not, and most of them are certainly extortion attempts. This is evidenced by the content that supposedly contains recordings from computers without cameras. So, when receiving this type of content, it is worth first to think carefully whether the situations described inside the message may be real. Then it's worth seeing the sender's address. They are often strange-looking addresses that appear suspicious at first glance. Criminals, however, more and more refine this tactic using more and more reliable e-mail addresses. Another thing is to use your knowledge of Blockchain technology. Although it seems that Bitcoin is a fully anonymous means of payment, delving into the block technology, it turns out that not entirely. It is true that there is no exact information about the owner of the address, but you can track all the transactions that were made from this wallet.

They are true because the data stored on the blockchain cannot be changed. This can be done, for example, at Blockchain.com or blockchair.com. Thanks to this, you can get information about the address provided by the addressee in the e-mail. In addition, there are portals that have BTC addresses used by hackers and criminals in their database, so you can check if the address provided in the email is not entered there. If it turns out that this is the case, it is known that this address is used by criminals. It is worth checking this address on scam-alert.io as well as on bitcoinabuse.com. As you can see, education and knowledge of Blockchain technology can sometimes help you avoid unpleasant situations, so it's worth spending some time, especially as blockchain technology is becoming more and more popular.