← Back to the guide
Blackmail with “recordings” (sextortion)
How it works
- You receive an email, sometimes with an old password of yours, claiming you were recorded
- The text says “all your contacts” will receive the material
- A sum in bitcoin is requested within a short time
- The message is sent in bulk: the author has no recording at all
Warning signs
- A request for bitcoin within 24–48 hours
- The password in the message is an old one, from a public data leak
- A generic message, without details that really concern you
- Threats to send it to all your contacts
What to do
- Do not pay and do not reply.
- Change the password of that account and turn on two-step authentication.
- If you are the victim of a real blackmail (photos or video that are really yours), do not pay: keep the evidence and call 1911 or the police.
- Block the sender and mark the email as spam.