What is sextortion?
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where criminals threaten to distribute private and sensitive material, usually sexually explicit photos or videos, if their demands are not met. The criminals, often hiding behind fake profiles, will contact victims on social media sites or chat apps and convince them to send an explicit image or video. They will then threaten to share the content with the victim’s friends and family or post it online publicly unless payment is made.
Sextortion is a growing problem globally. A 2021 study by the cybersecurity company Malwarebytes found sextortion scams increased by 242% in 2020 compared to the previous year. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center also reported receiving over 18,000 sextortion-related complaints in 2021, with losses over $13 million. The vast majority of victims are young males.
How does sextortion happen?
There are a few common tactics used by sextortion scammers:
– Catfishing – The criminal uses a fake identity and tries building trust with the victim online. They may use a fake dating profile or pretend to be someone the victim knows. After gaining trust, they convince the victim to share intimate images.
– Hacking – Criminals can hack into a victim’s online accounts and steal private images and videos to use in the extortion. Social media accounts, emails, and cloud storage can be targets.
– Webcam exploitation – The criminals use malicious software to take control of a victim’s webcam remotely and capture footage without their knowledge. The malware can be installed through phishing emails or by visiting infected websites.
– Doxing sites – Images shared privately between partners can end up posted publicly on doxing websites without consent. Criminals steal this content and then extort the victims.
What are the demands?
Once criminals obtain sensitive content to use for extortion, they will make demands of the victim to have the material not spread further. Common demands include:
– Money – Most sextortion scams demand payment sent through wire transfers, gift cards, cryptocurrencies, or other difficult-to-trace options. Amounts range from hundreds to thousands of dollars.
– More content – Criminals may ask victims to produce increasingly graphic and explicit content with the threat of releasing existing materials if they do not cooperate.
– Personal information – Extortionists may force victims to provide personal information, such as bank account details, which can facilitate identity theft and further fraud.
– Further access – Seeking passwords or remote access to a victim’s accounts and devices puts their entire digital life at risk for further exploitation.
The demands can also become increasingly devastating over time if victims comply with initial requests. Many sextortionists will still release materials even after payments, demanding more money continually.
What are the risks of ignoring sextortion?
Ignoring demands and threats from a sextortionist can feel like the best option to make the situation go away. However, there are risks associated with not engaging that should be weighed carefully:
Content could be leaked
The biggest risk is that the explicit photos, videos, or other information could be made public or sent to family and friends. Sextortionists often follow through on threats even without payment or compliance. Victims’ intimate content being spread can cause immense fear, anxiety, and embarrassment.
In some cases, sextortionists will only send materials to a small number of contacts initially or post on random websites. However, once an image is available digitally, it can be impossible to regain full control.
Blackmail could escalate
Ignoring demands could anger the extortionist and prompt them to escalate blackmail efforts through additional threats. As they already recognize they have compromising leverage, sextortionists may feel empowered to make demands seem increasingly intimidating.
New threats around spreading more content, contacting employers, ruining reputations, or even physical threats may follow. The situation can spiral as criminals aim for whatever tactics pressure victims into compliance.
Other accounts could be compromised
If sextortionists gained access to a victim’s account or device originally, ignoring them does not necessarily cut off this access. Criminals could exploit further passwords, photos, contacts, or information from accounts.
Full account security resets are necessary to prevent continued exploitation, even if attackers appear to have limited current access to the content supporting the extortion.
Scams could persist and escalate
Payment demands through sextortion scams often do not end after a single transaction. Victims find themselves in recurrent extortion for increasing amounts of money over months or longer. Even if demands are met fully, scammers may threaten to expose materials if more funds are not provided continually.
Ignoring initial demands prevents getting trapped in the recurring payment loop where costs keep rising. Cutting off contact fully stops escalation.
Other victims could be empowered
Giving in to sextortion demands, even if only partial payments, signals to scammers that their tactics are successful. This can encourage them to replicate the same scams on more victims.
Refusing to engage discourages them from expending more effort on a fruitless pathway, helping protect others.
What steps can you take if you are being sextorted?
If you find yourself facing demands and threats from an online extortionist in possession of sensitive personal content, here are key steps to take:
Stop all communication
Do not reply to any messages from the scammer. Block their account on any platforms they use to contact you. Removing their access prevents escalating threats.
Collect evidence
Keep records of all communication and activity from the sextortionist. Save messages, emails, screenshots, usernames, and transaction requests. These support criminal investigations.
Change privacy settings on accounts to save harassing messages that may automatically delete.
Secure accounts
Change passwords on any compromised accounts that may be exploited further. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. Scrub account connections to remove access.
Avoid payments
Wiring money, providing gift cards, or sending cryptocurrency only fuels the scam, and payments may lead to repeat extortion attempts. Don’t expect threats to end even if demands are met.
Report the activity
Notify involved social media sites or platforms about fake accounts used in sextortion. File a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Contact local law enforcement.
Seek emotional support
Confide in a trusted friend or family member for comfort during a challenging situation. Sextortion trauma is not a burden to carry alone. Professional counseling referrals are also available from victims’ assistance resources.
Sextortion Scam Statistics
| Category | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Global sextortion increase in 2020 | 242% |
| Sextortion complaints to FBI in 2021 | Over 18,000 |
| Losses reported to FBI in 2021 | Over $13 million |
| Gender of majority of victims | Male |
| Age of majority of victims | Adolescent to young adult |
How Can I Protect Myself From Sextortion?
You can take proactive steps to reduce the risk of falling victim to sextortion schemes:
Be extremely cautious sharing intimate images
Only share nude, sexually explicit, or sensitive photos or videos with absolute trusted partners. Establish mutual consent and comfort first. Keep identities anonymous if sharing online.
Set social media to private
Restrict visibility of photos, friends/followers lists, and personal details only to trusted connections. Review all accessibility settings.
Avoid suspicious links and attachments
Opening unknown links or files online can expose devices to hacking, malware, and remote access by criminals.
Use secure and unique passwords
Protect all accounts with strong, unique passwords using combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols. Never reuse passwords across accounts.
Install antivirus and malware protection
Keep all internet-connected devices updated with the latest security software and scans to block known threats.
Think before posting or messaging
Pause to consider the risks of sharing personal details and images through any digital channel, public or private. Permanent deletion of content online is very difficult.
Conclusion
Sextortion scams can have devastating emotional and reputational consequences but trying to just ignore the threats is unlikely to make them go away. Collecting evidence, completely cutting off contact, securing accounts, and asking for help while avoiding payments give victims the best chance of emerging safely. With vigilance and proper precautions, the risk of falling prey to sextortion can be minimized substantially.