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Online scam claims to know your (old) password

By John Domen

WASHINGTON — Police are warning people about a new email scam more plausible than a message sent by a supposed Nigerian prince.

The latest scam uses a person’s old password as proof that their online data was hacked, a release from the Prince William County Police Department said. Then, the scammers demand money from the user.

In addition to the passwords, the emailer claims to have a video of the person visiting a pornographic website, police said. The scammer then threatens to post the footage online unless the person sends money, usually through some address connected to bitcoin.

 

Police said it’s likely that those behind the scam got old passwords when someone hacked a popular, though unspecified, website more than a decade ago. The scammer is targeting users of that hacked website by sending the message to email addresses associated with the stolen password.

Because the hack happened so long ago, odds are the password is no longer used.

Police are encouraging people getting these suspicious emails to not respond or send money, and report the scammers.

Users can file online reports at www.pwcgov.org/policereport or call 703-792-6500.

The US lags other countries in social media restrictions for kids, but a reform push is growing

By The Associated Press
Amy Neville describes Kristin Bride as her “soulmate.” But the day that forged their bond — June 23, 2020 — was the worst of each of their lives. Both Bride and Neville lost their teen sons that day. Their kids lived a thousand miles apart and never met, but they both died from harms related to their social media use. When the two mothers met, early in their advocacy work to protect other kids, Bride said she had felt “totally alone.” But they have since seen the online child safety movement blossom, with scores of other parents who lost kids pursuing stronger social media safeguards and legislation to protect children online. With that momentum, advocates say the tide seems to be turning. A pair of landmark jury verdicts this year showed a way forward for holding tech companies accountable. And while the U.S. is nowhere near embracing social media bans for children like those seen from Australia to Indonesia, a push for regulation is simmering again in Congress.
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