What is Sextortion?

One day, the woman suggested that they do a video call. Naturally, the engineer agreed. A few seconds into the call, the woman removed her garments and exposed her body for a few seconds before disconnecting.

Soon after, the engineer received a screen recording of the video call, with messages threatening to share it with his family and friends. He was told that the only way to stop this was to pay money. Out of fear and desperation, along with not wanting people he knew to find out, he gave them the money.

However, the next day, he received messages demanding an even higher amount. He paid this as well, as he did not want to face the embarrassment of his family and colleagues finding out. When he was contacted yet again for more money, he decided to go to the police to file a complaint. It was here that he was informed that he was a victim of sextortion.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail where somebody captures a person in a sexually compromising position. It can either happen through a random video call or one that happens after gaining a person’s trust. In almost all cases, it is a woman who makes the video call and exposes herself to the other person.

The victim is then threatened over message with the video shared. The person carrying out the fraud will tell the victim that the video will be sent to everyone they know. Very often, they will send a screenshot of the victim’s contacts or following lists from social media to make it seem genuine. Demands for money will be made in exchange for not sharing the compromising video or image. Even after paying, demands keep coming.

However, the video or photo is almost never actually shared. The scammer uses pressure and intimidation to make a person pay out of fear. In reality, they gain nothing by sending the offending material, as they lose their leverage over the victim.
Also Read: What is the Dating App Scam?

Never accept video calls from unknown people
As a standard practice, it is always best to only accept video calls from familiar people. It does not matter what the purpose of the video call is. Unknown people often have negative intentions with video calls, whether it is sexual or otherwise. Video calls from unknown people should be disconnected, and if possible, options to disable video calls from unknown people should be turned on.

Always verify the identity of people you talk to online
Even with people you are texting online, it is always best to verify their identity. Whether it is for romantic or professional purposes, you are always safer verifying the identity of the person you are talking to. This will give you more confidence and will help avoid decisions that may lead to monetary loss.

If a sextortion attempt is made, block the person immediately
In case you answered an explicit video call and somebody is trying to blackmail you, block them immediately. Their threats are empty, and they won’t actually share anything. Even if you pay them, they will just demand more and more money. The only logical option is to block and do nothing else.

Sextortion is unfortunately a very common scam that happens. There is no shame if it happens to you. Promptly block the scammer and do not engage in them further. The worst possible decision is to give in to their demands for money, as they will not stop and will keep increasing. As long as you do not entertain the scammers, there is nothing you have to lose.