The digital trick that no one saw coming: a Halloween horror story
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 9:03 am
It was Halloween night and Andrés, a young programmer, had decided to take a break from his long days in front of the screen. He enjoyed the festive atmosphere, the orange and purple lights illuminating the houses, the children dressed in costumes going around the neighborhood looking for candy. However, while the city celebrated, something darker lurked behind the screens of those who, like Andrés, had let their guard down.
There was something about Halloween that always fascinated Andrés. Maybe it was the idea of costumes, how people hid their true identity for one night. It was an interesting parallel, he thought, with what happened in the digital world: on the internet, many identities were hidden as well. However, that thought that was going through his head that night would soon turn into a real nightmare.
At 10pm, when most of the kids had already gone job seekers database and the streets were starting to empty out, Andrew decided to check his email before bed. That’s when he noticed it. A new email, with the subject line: “Last chance! Discover your digital costume.” Without a second thought, Andrew clicked. After all, the offer seemed fun and in keeping with the theme of the day. What harm could a simple click do?
The email took him to a page with flashy graphics, full of seemingly harmless offers to get discounts on virtual avatar costumes. However, as Andrew browsed the page, something strange began to happen. His computer slowed down and a message appeared on the screen: “Your privacy now belongs to us.”
Andrew’s heart stopped for a moment. He had fallen into a trap. An elaborate one, designed specifically to capture the attention of those who, in the spirit of Halloween, would let their guard down in the face of digital threats. His screen flickered as the message continued: “Your data has been captured. What happens next is up to you.”
Frightened, Andrés immediately disconnected his computer from the network, but he knew it was too late. The malware was already inside, scanning his files, stealing his passwords, collecting sensitive information. Against the backdrop of Halloween fun, Andrés had become another victim of what they called the “digital trick.”
Desperate, he tried to remember any security tips he had ever read or seen, took a deep breath, and shut down his computer completely, removed the hard drive, and took it to a data recovery lab. Most importantly, he remembered, he changed all his passwords from a secure device, and made sure his online banking and emails were protected with two-factor authentication. He also remembered that, although it had been a common mistake, getting carried away by the theme of the night and clicking on a suspicious link without checking the source was a trap many fell into.
As Andrew went through the steps to regain control of his information, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of relief and shame. The Halloween trick had been much more real than he had expected. As the night progressed, Andrew reflected on what had happened. It was ironic, he thought, how on Halloween we care so much about the costumes and masks we wear, but we pay no attention to the digital disguises that are often much more dangerous.
There was something about Halloween that always fascinated Andrés. Maybe it was the idea of costumes, how people hid their true identity for one night. It was an interesting parallel, he thought, with what happened in the digital world: on the internet, many identities were hidden as well. However, that thought that was going through his head that night would soon turn into a real nightmare.
At 10pm, when most of the kids had already gone job seekers database and the streets were starting to empty out, Andrew decided to check his email before bed. That’s when he noticed it. A new email, with the subject line: “Last chance! Discover your digital costume.” Without a second thought, Andrew clicked. After all, the offer seemed fun and in keeping with the theme of the day. What harm could a simple click do?
The email took him to a page with flashy graphics, full of seemingly harmless offers to get discounts on virtual avatar costumes. However, as Andrew browsed the page, something strange began to happen. His computer slowed down and a message appeared on the screen: “Your privacy now belongs to us.”
Andrew’s heart stopped for a moment. He had fallen into a trap. An elaborate one, designed specifically to capture the attention of those who, in the spirit of Halloween, would let their guard down in the face of digital threats. His screen flickered as the message continued: “Your data has been captured. What happens next is up to you.”
Frightened, Andrés immediately disconnected his computer from the network, but he knew it was too late. The malware was already inside, scanning his files, stealing his passwords, collecting sensitive information. Against the backdrop of Halloween fun, Andrés had become another victim of what they called the “digital trick.”
Desperate, he tried to remember any security tips he had ever read or seen, took a deep breath, and shut down his computer completely, removed the hard drive, and took it to a data recovery lab. Most importantly, he remembered, he changed all his passwords from a secure device, and made sure his online banking and emails were protected with two-factor authentication. He also remembered that, although it had been a common mistake, getting carried away by the theme of the night and clicking on a suspicious link without checking the source was a trap many fell into.
As Andrew went through the steps to regain control of his information, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of relief and shame. The Halloween trick had been much more real than he had expected. As the night progressed, Andrew reflected on what had happened. It was ironic, he thought, how on Halloween we care so much about the costumes and masks we wear, but we pay no attention to the digital disguises that are often much more dangerous.