I own my family name as an internet domain with several country codes. It’s not every day you get to claim your heritage in the digital world like that. However, this seemingly harmless act has turned me into an unexpected recipient of a rather peculiar type of email: the multilingual ransomware scam.
My inbox, normally filled with mundane notifications and the occasional newsletter, now houses a collection of poorly written threats in: Italian, French, Dutch, Romanian, Hindi, and of course, English.
The sheer audacity of these scammers, casting such a wide net, is almost comical. It makes you wonder, in this day and age, who still falls for these blatantly fake emails? They are so easy to spot!
I like to think I’m doing my part in combating this digital menace. Every time I receive one of these ridiculous emails, I report the bitcoin addresses used in the scam to services like BitcoinWhosWho. It’s a small act of defiance.
Interestingly, all the wallets associated with these scams appear to be perpetually empty. This makes me wonder if these are zombie scam, maybe they no longer work at all. It’s a small comfort, perhaps, but it suggests that maybe, just maybe, the scammers are wasting their time.
I can’t help but ponder the psychology behind these scams. What makes people click on those links? What vulnerabilities do they exploit? Maybe it’s a sense of panic, or perhaps a lack of digital literacy. Whatever the reason, it’s a reminder to stay vigilant in the face of these constant threats.