Warning issued over ‘hello pervert’ email – and what to do if you receive one

The email has landed in accounts across the world

As more and more of us rely on our phones for everyday tasks, we need to be increasingly wary of cyber-scams trying to get us to part with cash.

This latest hoax is one of the most disturbing yet, with hundreds of people having seen emails land in their inbox with the opening line 'Hello pervert.'

The scam email appears to have come from the receiver's own email and claims they have been spied on through their laptop webcam.

It then threatens to share footage of the person unless they send the scammer money, the Mail reports.

Understandably, many have been left horrified after seeing this in their inbox, but it's important to know it is a scam.

The email reads:  "I've sent you this message from your Microsoft account.

"I want to inform you about a very bad situation for you. However you can benefit from it, if you will act wisely."

It goes on to claim the sender has footage of the email receiver watching pornography and masturbating, adding that the sender will forward this footage on to everyone in the person's contact lists unless they pay a ransom.

One version of the email shared on X said: "Don't think of yourself as an 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."

Some emails will mention Pegasus, a spyware software developed by Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group, to try and make the message more threatening. Other emails might include an old or inactive password that has been obtained in a previous data breach, to try and convince the receiver the threat is real.

On Reddit, a number of people have shared their experience receiving the 'Hello pervert' email. One person said: "I got really scared because the message was sent from my own email address, yet it was reported as junk."

It seems like the scam is worldwide as well, with some accounts based in New Zealand reporting that they've received the 'hello pervert' email.

If you've received one of these emails, there are some things you should do, most important of which is to not reply.

Cybersecurity experts Malwarebytes say you should never reply to an email you suspect is a scam, as this alerts the scammer that the emails are being opened and read. This will encourage the scammer to keep sending emails to defraud you.

You should also never click on any unsolicited attachments or links in the email. These could potentially install malware onto your device.

If the email includes a password, make sure you're either not using it any more or that you change it immediately if you are.

And finally, delete the email and don't panic.

"Don't let yourself get rushed into action or decisions. Scammers rely on the fact that you will not take the time to think this through and subsequently make mistakes," Malwarebytes said.