Sextortion

1. 1

   They get (or claim to have) intimate content

   They may have tricked you into sharing images during a video chat or relationship. Or they may claim to have hacked your webcam, often a bluff backed by an old password from a data breach.

2. 2

   They threaten to share it

   They say they'll send photos or videos to your friends, family, employer, or post them publicly unless you pay. They may show you a list of your contacts to prove they're serious.

3. 3

   They demand payment

   Usually cryptocurrency, gift cards, or wire transfers. The amount ranges from hundreds to thousands of dollars. They create extreme urgency: "Pay within 24 hours."

4. 4

   Paying doesn't stop them

   If you pay, they know you're willing to pay and come back for more. Most sextortion threats are never carried out. The scammer moves on to the next victim.

• A stranger on social media or a dating app quickly moves to video chat
• During a video call, the other person gets intimate and encourages you to do the same
• Someone sends you an email claiming to have webcam footage of you
• The email includes a real password you've used (from a data breach, but that doesn't mean they have footage)
• They demand payment in crypto, gift cards, or wire transfer
• They threaten to contact your family, friends, or employer

• Do not pay. Paying usually leads to more demands.
• Do not respond to the scammer. Any response confirms you're a real target.
• Screenshot all messages and threats before blocking.
• Report to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov and to the platform where it happened.
• If intimate images were shared without consent, report to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (cybercivilrights.org).
• If you're a minor or a minor is involved, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at missingkids.org/gethelpnow.
• If you or someone you know is in emotional distress, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). You are not alone and this is not your fault.

Sextortion targets people of all ages, but teens and young adults are increasingly targeted through social media and gaming platforms. Scammers also mass-email adults with webcam bluffs.

Being targeted is not your fault. Scammers are criminals who exploit human vulnerability. What matters now is that you don't pay and you do report it.

89,129 extortion reports to the FBI in 2025, the second most-reported cybercrime after phishing

FBI IC3, 2026

$122 million in reported extortion losses in 2025

FBI IC3, 2026

NCMEC's CyberTipline took 186,819 reports of online enticement, which includes financial sextortion, in 2023 — a 323% rise from 2021

NCMEC, 2024