Blackmail Scams/Sextortion Scams.There are various types of these scams. I will explain a few.
Many Social Media Sites such as Skype, Kik, Facebook, Pof, Craigslist, okcupid. Badoo and Chatroulette are a home for Scammers and Thieves to use to scam by using threats of fear and/or criminal charges.
This scam involves 'grooming' a potential victim into sending compromising photographs/video to the scammer - In some scams the scammer/thief will, initially, send compromising pictures which he/she will say are of him/her -- these will be stolen from elsewhere
Types of blackmail/sextortion scams:Threatening to send your images to your Facebook friends and family.Scammer will meet you on a social media site and ask to exchange compromising images. He may have asked prior or will ask later to be added to your Facebook account.
Now the scam begins. He will tell you to send money via Moneygram, Western Union, Amazon gift card, Prepaid scratch off card or any other untraceable method to him.
In some situations the scammer will tell you to sign up to a cam site or they will post your pictures/video. This is also a scam. It may lead into credit card phishing.
He will tell you if you do not comply he will send the photo’s to your Facebook friends list.
Another version of this scam is Under Age girls/boys.The scammer will meet you again on a social media site. He/she will tell you they are over the age of 18. As you progress communicating with this person/scammer he will ask to exchange indecent photographs/video.
After you exchange photo’s you will be contacted by the scammers fake "Father" or "Mother". They will tell you that you sent pictures to an under age girl/boy. They will want you to send money for therapy'damages or for them not to go to the police. In some cases the scammer has contacted victim pretending to be Law Enforcement/Private Investigators, possibly going as far as to spoof the number of a real local Law Enforcement department to make it appear that they are calling.
There are also seen cases where a scammer pretends to an online agent looking for pedophiles. This scam is using the same payment methods mentioned above. The Scammer will tell you that if you pay them they will not report it.
Recommended Actions:It is best to stop all contact with the scammers. Ignore his calls and messages.
Ignore all demands for money. If you pay the scammer he will continue to blackmail you. You will only stop paying when you go broke or realize you are being scammed.
Deactivate your Facebook account for two weeks. Change your photo or avatar when you reactivate it or get a new one. Also change your user name. Do not accept requests from anyone you have never met.
Do the above for all social media and Skype.
You may have to change your phone numbers.
File a report with your local law enforcement agency and to one of the following below if possible.
USA: IC3 -
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx Canada: Anti Fraud Center -
http://www.antifraudcentre-centreantifr ... index.shtmUK: Action Fraud -
http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/For members serving US Navy & Marines personnel, you can report it to the Naval Criminal Investigative Services as follows:
Your local NCIS Office can be foudn at
http://www.ncis.navy.milText "NCIS" + your tip info to
Crimes (274637)
"Tip Submit" Android and iPhone App
Select NCIS as Agency
NCIS Hotline 1-877-579-3648
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Russell-Knox Building
27130 Telegraph Road
Quantico, VA 22134
If you cannot report to NCIS, notify your security officer, supervisor, or command. Per DoDD 5240.06, they are
required to notify NCIS within 72 hours.
Link to further information (PDF file) on sextortion produced by the NCIS -
http://www.ncis.navy.mil/PublishingImag ... hure_4.pdf
https://www.army.mil/article/181694/arm ... tion_scamsArmy CID warns Soldiers to beware of 'sextortion' scams
Media Reports:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/texas-professo ... d=18814474https://www.army.mil/article/158108/cid ... mail_scamshttp://fox13now.com/2017/01/12/logan-po ... tion-scam/http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-onl ... story.htmlhttp://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2016/10/1 ... up-at-umd/http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/fairfax ... /184933229Further reading posted by Dotti:
viewtopic.php?f=13&t=18484 I sent intimate photos/video to my scammer or he says he recorded my activities on webcam, and now he is threatening to publish them. What can I do?
Unfortunately, there is not much you can do. The only advice we can give you is not to give in to blackmail demands, and once again, cut off ALL contact with the scammer. If he cannot reach you, he cannot blackmail you. If he knows that he has power over you, he will continue to abuse that power and demand more and more money. He may promise to destroy the photos/video, but remember he is a liar and a thief, and his promises are worth nothing.
The truth is, in most cases the scammer will not follow through with this threat, because following through will cost him time and money. If he tries to post anything pornographic, most public sites would delete it anyway. In the unlikely event that he does post something, you need to be proactive and contact the site immediately to have it removed. Depending on the threats, you may want to file a report with law enforcement.
Just remember for the future that any photo or video you give to ANYONE is out of your control, and anything you do on webcam can be recorded. This particular issue is not exclusive to scammers - the internet is full of stories of angry people who posted intimate details or photos/video of ex-partners after a relationship ended badly.
If you sent or received nudes knowing or believing that you were communicating with a minor the above does not apply to you.
In this situation, we are not willing/nor will assist you.. https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ceos/c ... ornography Notably, the legal definition of sexually explicit conduct does not require that an image depict a child engaging in sexual activity. A picture of a naked child may constitute illegal child pornography if it is sufficiently sexually suggestive.
Additionally, the age of consent for sexual activity in a given state is irrelevant; any depiction of a minor under 18 years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct is illegal.
