Sextortion Scams

Sextortion scams involve someone threatening to share private images, videos, or personal information unless you pay money or meet further demands. These scams often begin with unsolicited messages, fake dating profiles, or hacked accounts, and they rely heavily on fear, shame, and urgency to pressure victims into acting quickly.

A common scenario starts with a message claiming the sender has compromising images or screen recordings of you, sometimes alleging they accessed your webcam or hacked your device. In other cases, scammers convince people to share intimate images during online chats and then threaten to send them to friends, family, or colleagues unless payment is made.

Examples include emails stating “I recorded you through your camera”, messages showing an old or publicly available password to appear legitimate, or social media accounts that quickly turn sexual and then issue threats. Payments are usually demanded via cryptocurrency, gift cards, or other hard-to-trace methods, and the threats often escalate if you respond.

To protect yourself, do not reply or pay — payment does not stop the scam and often leads to further demands. Preserve evidence (screenshots, messages), change passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and report the account or message to the platform. If you feel unsafe or the threat is serious, consider contacting local law enforcement or a trusted support service for help.