The SExtortion Scam, from the terms sex and EXTORTION translatable as “sexual extortion”, is a type of fraud which, rather than leaving on technological and IT systems such as phishing, leverages our psyche and intimacy. It is a blackmail based on the extortion of money by the criminals who are in possession – or pretend to own – video or compromising photos of the victims. And the blackmail is simple: either you pay, or spread your explicit content. Unfortunately, this type of scam is also used to obtain child pornography, In cases where criminals choose minor boys and girls as victims.
Let’s see in this article how the sextortion works, what are the possible variables and how to defend themselves when it remains victims of them.
What is the SExtortion scam: sexual extortion
Sextortion is literally a sexual extortion. A few years ago a type of scam had become very widespread e-mail in which the sender, unknown, ordered the victim of having his own photo And video compromising obtained thanks to a virus installed on his computer who had taken possession of the webcam, he is the so -called CamFecting. The blackmail was simple: “Either I pay a certain quantity of money on my account, or I will spread your intimate video on the web, making it get to friends and relatives and ruining your reputation”. It is a scam so famous that it has also become the protagonist of a episode of the Netflix series Black Mirror.
The case of sextortion via email described above is certainly the most widespread, also because the criminals do not really have the compromising video of which they speak. It is based only on the fear of the reader, and such an email can be sent to anyone.
However, there are much more sophisticated sextortion cases e “real”, which unfortunately are based on video explicit truly existing, in which the victims find themselves being recorded during masturbation. But how is it possible?
Sextortion can be based on real profiles
There are criminal organizations that, through truly existing people, succeed in adapt the victims on social network and other web platforms, making him believe he has a real “attendance” – a bit like in the case of romantic scams – so as to establish an intimate correspondence.
The modus operandi is this. The victim is added to a specific social by a lass (or boy) usually particularly attractive, who with a more or less plausible excuse pretends to be interested in the victim. Attention, the girl in question exists in flesh and blood: she has a true profile, With photos dating back to a few years earlier and has no problems to be seen by video call with the victim.
Once a connection is established, the girl starts a propose to the victim content more and more explicit, showing himself in intimate attitudes and asking to do the same from his interlocutor. Once obtained video or photo in which the victim shows himself naked or is recovered while practicing autoeroticism, The girl (or boy) shows herself for what she is, that is, a scammer. Start sending the victims to the victim who portray her in compromising attitudes and asks for a ransom to be eliminated. Often the payment It is requested in cryptocurrencies, this is because scammers use some characteristics of the world of crypts to make their tracks lose more ease.
In this case, it is a real sex extortion: Money is requested in exchange for videos which, according to the criminals, would ruin the victim’s life. But how can you recognize it?
How to recognize and prevent scam
For prevent The possibility of remaining victims of Sextortion is important to remember some tips that may seem obvious, but they are never banal:
- Never trust who we don’t know in real life. Even if we establish a dense correspondence, remember we never share intimate material or personal information that could compromise us
- use devices to cover there video camera of our computer when we are not using it or when we are doing something intimate. There are viruses that can actually allow hackers to access the video camera – is the so -called CamFecting. However, do not panic: keeping the operating system of your computer always updated and using the right antivirus, you can consider you protected, but cover the webcam when not in use is always recommended
- The third and final advice is aimed at parents and to Educators: It is very important to teach most young What dangers exist on the internet, especially now that social and web are increasingly widespread among minors. In these cases, the scammers pretend to be peers of the victims or authoritative and reliable people. Recall that a 10 -year -old boy does not have our own ability to recognize these dangerous situations, so making education is fundamental.
Unfortunately, there are numerous cases of people who were victims of this scam. So what to do in this case?
How to defend yourself in case of sextortion
The first fundamental thing to do in these cases is Never pay the redemption That we are asked, even if the scammers really have our compromising videos. Giving in to blackmailing, does not ensure that the contents will not be disseminated by criminals and indeed, exposes us to new and increasingly large requests for money.
What we can do is report immediately to the Postal police The incident on its portal do not delete the messages exchanged with extortion or close our social profiles, but on the contrary to keep screenshots and criminal threats. In the event that the blackmailed actually publish our compromising photos and videos, report immediately happened to the platform in question (whether you are YouTube, Facebook or other) asking for immediate cancellation. Remember that you always have the right to do it when a photo or video portray you without your consent.
And to be able to immediately notice the publication of media that portray you, you can create a notice on Google Alert In your name. This means that any content associated with your name that is loaded on the Internet will be immediately notified to you.
