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Using "creepware” software, weirdo nerds are increasingly taking control of people’s lap top webcams and phone cameras and microphones to spy on their every move.

They film intimate moments of strangers such as undressing, getting horny on Skype with a partner ...or worst of all masturbating over web porn.

Recorded clips are then shared among perverts on the dark web.

Mortifying moments are also used to blackmail people into either handing over money, by sadists seeking out sexual kicks by humiliating people – or even by warped stalkers bent on enslaving victims they have never met in the flesh.

Online forums on the dark web seen by the Daily Star Online are teeming with creepware predators boasting about having fun with their “slaves”. One even brags about making a woman strip for him.

Web security firms warn unless you become aware of the threat and protect yourself you face falling victim to this scorge which they say is sky-rocketing.

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Web experts fighting the threats say the number of new varieties has more than doubled in a year and Britain is now the third most affected country in the world.

Just last month keyboard creep Stefan Rigo from Leeds was convicted for voyeurism after international investigators nabbed him misusing “Blackshades” malware, the most popular creepware software.

A forensic examination of Rigo’s computer equipment discovered images of people engaging in sexual acts over Skype or in front of their computers. It turned out he was spending up to 12 hours a DAY watching strangers in their bedrooms.

More recently, British cops have arrested a 28-year-old man from Cumbria following an international series of raids over a sinister smartphone creepware sold online for £130.

Called DroidJack, the remote access tool (RAT) allows criminals to spy on smartphone contacts, eavesdrop on conversations, hijack the camera and track victims using their GPS.

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But rather than being isolated cases, these convictions and arrests could be the tip of a very large iceberg that everybody should be worried about.

Sian John, chief security strategist of Symantec who produce Norton software, said otherwise powerless people can use malware to ruin your life – and you may never know they've wormed their way into computers, tablets or smartphones.

She said: “People are not aware they are exposing themselves to creepware and it's something that’s growing.

“It’s a growing problem because technology is becoming baked into our lives, it’s part of our everyday lives.

“You may not know they are recording – they can even switch the (camera) light off because they have access to the computer and the settings.”

She added: “It's when they start using it against you, that’s when you know it’s there.”

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As well as blackmailing, humiliating you or using your life as masturbation material, cyber criminals can take your computer hostage by changing passwords.

In June the Swedish co-creater of Blackshades, Alex Yucel, was sentenced to 57 months in jail in New York following an FBI led investigation.

Following his conviction for computer hacking, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: “This malware victimised thousands of people across the globe and invaded their lives.

"But Yucel’s computer hacking days are now over.”

Yet while Yucel comes to terms with his low-tech live behind bars, legions of pervs, blackmailers and sadists in more than 100 countries that bought his software for just £25 are continuing to merrily wreak on people’s lives.

Amazingly the software and other variations are not illegal and can be easily bought on the internet – its only against the law when its used it to spy on people and the punishment is jail.

It infects victims by tricking them into clicking links that then install the malware. People downloading pirated software can also pick up it up.

Dark web hacking forums are full of geeks-gone-bad discussing their a-moral online adventures with creepware.

One said: "I’ve just been having fun with one of my slaves. I would hate [sic] if this happened to my mums [sic] computer.”

Another said: “I’ve done some horrible, horrible things. Mostly, I record them also so I hear [Blackshades audio capture] and see [cammy] them crying. I mostly save those in a map “crying – [name]” to remember them crying to remember the lulz.”

Chillingly, one of them then adds: “I’ve made a girl go naked on her webcam, does that count?”

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Creepware is just another tool in the box for voyeurs in our high tech world.

The Daily Star Online revealed how peeping toms across Britain are taking to the skies with drones to film randy couples romping – without the stars of their film ever knowing.

John O’Neill, director of the Menninger sex-addiction clinic in Houston, said: “Spying on people through their webcam is an extreme example of voyeuristic behaviour.

"Like drones, this type of behaviour is a natural fit for stalkers and voyeurs.

"Technology has always changed the face of sexuality. From the VHS to high-speed Internet, technology is a tool in fostering sexual behaviour.”

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Could Your Computer Be Infected by Blackshades?

It could be if you notice the following:

1. Mouse cursor moves without you touching it

2. Web camera light unexpectedly turns on when not being used (although this may not always happen because they can change settings)

3. Usernames and passwords for online accounts no longer work

4. Computer files become encrypted and ransom demand is made to unlock files.

5. You fall victim to bank fraud

6. A chat window unexpectedly appears on your screen

What can you do?

It is recommended users:

1. Keep antivirus software up-to-date

2. Avoid opening emails from unknown senders and clicking on suspicious email attachments.

3. Exercise caution when clicking on enticing links sent through email, instant messages, or posted on social networks.

4. Only download files from trusted and legitimate sources.

5. Be suspicious of unexpected webcam activity. When you’re not using the webcam, keep the shutter closed, if your webcam doesn’t have a shutter, use a piece of tape to cover it when not in use.

Source: Symantec