Recently, I have been getting quite a few text messages and emails about selling my house. I mostly ignore them and don’t even open a lot of them… until last week. Like most folk, I have my email accounts accessible via my computers and my cell phone. On this particular day, I heard my notification on my phone, and while multitasking (of course), I opened an email with my home address as the subject. I thought it was another solicitation from a realtor, but to my dismay, it was a sextortion email!! Even for me, this was an alarming and invasive experience that has prompted me to write about it for this column.
So, what is sextortion? It is a form of cybercrime where an attacker claims to have access to sexually explicit/intimate photos or videos of you—and threatens to release them to family, friends, or the public unless their demands are met. These criminals often have no such material and are using scare tactics to manipulate you into paying money or providing other sensitive data.
A sextortion email often begins with an alarming subject line meant to grab your attention. In my case, I assumed the email was another real estate solicitation. But upon opening it, the email claimed that the sender had hacked into my device and captured explicit footage of me. The scammer insisted they had accessed my webcam and recorded video while I visited adult websites—a claim that was entirely false but designed to evoke fear and panic in me.
Sextortion has been around for a while and can typically include a password you have used on an online account tied to your email address. Now they are taking a new twist. Mine included a Google Maps picture of my home, along with the threat. So, your next question may be, “how did they get your home address?!?” When a company experiences a data breach, the information obtained through the breach is often sold on the dark web and used by bad actors in scams such as this one. While such an experience is concerning, there are steps you can take in response.
Do Not Respond to the Email: The primary goal of sextortionists is to provoke panic and elicit a response. Responding only confirms that your email address is active and may lead to further harassment or attempts at extortion.
Do Not Pay Any Ransom: Sextortionists rely on threats to extract payment, but in most cases, they do not have the compromising material they claim to possess. Paying the ransom only fuels their criminal activities and does not guarantee that the threats will stop.
Check Your Email and Account Security: Sometimes, sextortionists will reference old passwords obtained from previous data breaches to make their threats seem credible. If you recognize the password in the email, it’s a good idea to immediately change the passwords on any accounts associated with that email. Use strong, unique passwords for each account and consider enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) for an additional layer of security.
Scan for Malware: While most sextortion emails are merely scare tactics, it’s wise to scan your computer and devices for malware, especially if the email claims to have gained access through hacking. Use reliable antivirus or anti-malware software to ensure that your systems are secure.
Report the Email: Reporting the email to your email provider is essential. Most email platforms allow you to mark the message as spam or phishing, which helps block similar messages in the future. You can also report the email to local authorities or organizations specializing in cybercrime, such as the Federal Trade Commission (https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/assistant) or the Internet Crime Complaint Center (https://www.ic3.gov/).
Monitor Data Breaches: Keep track of data breaches that may involve your email or personal information. Websites like “Have I Been Pwned” (https://haveibeenpwned.com/) allow you to check if your accounts have been compromised in a breach, helping you to stay proactive in securing your data.
Additionally: 1) Never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are — or who they say they are. 2) Don’t open attachments from people you don’t know and be wary of opening attachments even from those you do know. 3) Turn off [and/or cover] any web cameras when you are not using them.
Staying calm, taking immediate steps to secure your accounts, and reporting the scam, can protect yourself and prevent your attacker from succeeding. Remember, sextortion is a scare tactic, and in most cases, the threat is empty. Stay informed, stay vigilant, and protect your digital life from these deceptive threats.
Courtesy, Karen Clay
