Blackmail & Extortion
Last updated September 18, 2026
The short answer
Someone is threatening to reveal embarrassing information, damage your reputation, harm your business, or cause you other harm unless you pay them. This is extortion, and it's a crime whether or not their threats are real.
How it works
- 1
They claim to have damaging information
They say they have proof of an affair, financial secrets, embarrassing photos, or something else you wouldn't want made public. The information may be real, exaggerated, or completely fabricated.
- 2
They make demands
Pay a certain amount or they'll go public. The demand comes with a deadline and specific payment instructions, usually untraceable methods like crypto or gift cards.
- 3
They escalate pressure
If you don't pay immediately, they may send "previews," sharing a small piece of the alleged information to prove they're serious. They count on fear overriding your judgment.
- 4
Payment doesn't end it
Paying confirms you're willing to pay. The demands continue, often increasing. There's no final payment that makes it stop.
Warning signs
- An anonymous message threatens to expose personal information
- They demand payment in crypto, gift cards, or wire transfer
- They set a short deadline to create panic
- They tell you not to contact the police
- They claim to have hacked your accounts or devices
- The threat arrives after a data breach that exposed your information
What it looks like
"We know what you did. Pay or we tell your employer"
An email claims to have evidence of you visiting compromising websites and threatens to send proof to your employer. They demand $5,000 in Bitcoin. The email is generic and sent to thousands of people. They have no actual evidence.
Business email threat demanding crypto payment
A business owner receives an email saying hackers have planted a device in their office and recorded private conversations. They demand $20,000 in Bitcoin to destroy the recordings. The threat is fabricated. There is no device.
"I'll destroy your online reputation"
A small business receives a message threatening to post hundreds of fake negative reviews unless they pay $3,000. The extortionist sends a sample fake review as proof. Rather than paying, the business reports it to the platform and the FBI.
What to do
- Do not pay. Paying almost always leads to more demands.
- Save all communications: screenshots, emails, messages, phone logs.
- Report to law enforcement: file with your local police and the FBI's IC3.
- If it's happening at work, notify your employer's security team.
- Change passwords on any accounts the extortionist claims to have access to.
- Consider talking to a trusted person. You don't have to handle this alone.
Who gets targeted
Extortion can target anyone. Business owners, professionals, public figures, and ordinary people all receive extortion attempts. Mass-mailed extortion bluffs cast a wide net hoping someone will pay.
Being threatened is not a reflection of anything you've done wrong. Extortion is a crime committed by the person making the threat.
By the numbers
- $122 million lost to extortion in 2025, from 89,129 reports
- FBI IC3, 2026
- $54 million of that was lost by people 60 and over
- FBI IC3, 2026
- Extortion was the second most-reported cybercrime of 2025
- FBI IC3, 2026
Companies used in blackmail & extortion
These are the brands scammers hide behind in this scam. Each guide covers what that company will never ask you for, and how to report it to them directly.