question about webcams

The man that I posted about a few days ago, whose 'profile pictures' I found on another website, DID webcam with me, Twice. Each time he said the microphone did not work. His face showed no emotion as if he was watching a movie on tv.....it did not look like he was typing either, and if he did it was with 1 hand...That is what I thought was the oddest part of my whole 'scenerio'......seeing him twice on webcam

My question is.....can people get in a person's computer from remote access and 'a back door' and turn on your webcam and record you without your knowledge from your own webcam? That is how I think what happened with this guy......he was recorded or he had some recording somewhere on the net, in additoin to pictires on another website on 'how to make your own vacation slide show'.....it WAS the same man in the pictures/profile. What i thought was odd was that on the tripadvisor website where I found his pictures, on where you can make your own slideshow with your own photos - it was done by a woman from the Phillipines, and she said it was ' her trip to NY'......But there were NO pictures of the 2 of them in the same picture...there were pictures of him, and pictures of her...

SO the guy I dealt with, had not only profile pictures, but those same pictures I found on a website and we DID talk on webcam.........well i SAW him on webcam. I am assuming the scammer was pointing HIS webcam at a recording he had of the same guy in the photos and made me THINK it was the man live on webcam. But from what was shown to me on the webcam, it was like the guy didn't even know we were talking on cam....that was one of another 'clue' the made me suspicious from the beginning.

The scammer most likely doesn't know the person in the photos, and does not have access to that person's webcam.

What the scammer does have is video of the person downloaded from the internet. The real person in the photos could be a model/ aspiring actor who has posted clips or audition recordings as well as photos; he could be an "expert" who has online videos demonstrating something; or he could simply be an average person who has placed both photos and videos on youtube, facebook, or some other social/sharing site.

The scammer has software (which is commonly sold from scammer to scammer for this very purpose) that allows him to take the recorded video, loop it, and even select portions that he can activate on command. He prepares this an advance, and using the software, plays this video as a substitute for webcam. It is quick, easy, and doesn't require much knowledge, as the software does much of the work.

This tactic has been around for a few years now. We see this much more often when romance scammers are targeting men--they will use photos of porn actresses, and will download video from their porn sites to create fake webcam in which they even "perform" for their targets--but if they can get photos and video of the same person, scammers targeting women are certainly willing and able to do this.

Thanks for the info!!!!! Boy I sure have learned a lot these past 2 weeks!

I honestly feel badly for the people whose pictures and videos they are using....a part of the scam is so many are the victims

Hi Judalla,

this shows how risky is to put something on internet. We prefer to stay anonymous online.
For the very reason Dotti cited, it is unwise to voicecall of webcam someone if you do not absolutely trust him. And obviously never allow someone to remote access to your computer.