Have you recently received an email with an image of your home or street along with an alarming message? Be aware: you may have been targeted by a trending cyber crime involving criminals threatening to post explicit images or videos of their target.

The cyber fraud is referred to as sextortion and involves a demand from the criminal for the target to pay to not have the alleged explicit materials publicized. The trending fraud can also involve blackmail over a target’s browsing history.

In reality, the criminals likely do not have any of the materials they allege. Photos of a target’s home or street can be found via Google Maps. While most criminals are lying about being in possession of personal, explicit materials, it is possible they may not be. It is important to be vigilant about what you share on social media, by text message, or by email, as criminals can use that information to threaten targets.

The cyber criminals often direct a potential victim to make a payment via Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency and will provide a QR code or link to the criminal’s Bitcoin account to transfer the money.

It is imperative that anyone who receives this or a similar threat does NOT scan the QR code and does not communicate with the cyber criminal.

Tips to Keep Yourself Safe From Sextortion:

• When speaking to someone online, search their name to see if it’s been reported to have been used in a prior crime or if it’s the name of a famous person.
• Never send compromising or explicit images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are – or who they say they are.
• Search the internet for one or two sentences from the email to confirm it is actually spam.
• No matter what the email threatens, do not respond and delete the email.
• Do not open attachments or click links in emails from people you do not know. Doing so leaves you vulnerable to identity theft and malware.
• Never send money or buy a gift card, or do anything to comply with the demands in the email.
• Do a security check on your computer and install security software.
• Enable two-factor authentication on your important accounts.
• Change passwords often, and consider getting a password manager to ensure your passwords are strong and unique.
• Cover your webcam when not in use to give you peace of mind.
• Check to see if your email was compromised in a security breach and change passwords as necessary.
• Never answer your phone unless you recognize the number. If it is a legitimate call, the person will leave a voicemail.

If you or someone you know believes they are a victim of phishing sextortion or financially motivated sextortion, immediately report the activity to law enforcement. 

You can report these kinds of cyber crimes to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or by visiting ic3.gov. You may also submit a complaint to the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection online, emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov, or by calling the office at 1-800-441-2555. When filing a complaint, be sure to include the email or other form of contact from the potential cyber criminal.