FBI warns of for-profit companies targeting sextortion victims with deceptive tactics

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a warning about for-profit companies allegedly linked to sextortion activity, which use various deceptive tactics to pressure victims into paying for “assistance” services that can be obtained for free from non-profit agencies and law enforcement.

What is Sextortion?

Sextortion is a type of digital extortion where criminals use phishing emails or fake social media profiles to trick victims into sharing explicit videos or images, which are then used for blackmail purposes.

The Tactics Used by For-Profit Companies

The FBI has identified several tactics used by for-profit companies to deceive sextortion victims into paying for their services. These tactics include threats, manipulation, and the feeding of false information to victims to persuade them to pay exorbitant fees for “help.” For-profit companies can take advantage of victims’ desperation for assistance and potential feelings of fear or shame that may result from the sextortion.

Some of these companies offer to send and charge for cease and desist orders to the criminals behind the schemes. However, the FBI warns that these “services” are not legally enforceable. Furthermore, these companies may also discourage victims from contacting law enforcement and reporting the sextortion attempts. They might even be directly or indirectly involved in the sextortion activity.

Examples of Deceptive Tactics

The FBI shared several examples of deceptive tactics used by for-profit companies to mislead sextortion victims into paying for their services. In one instance, a company solicited multiple payments totaling $5,000 from a juvenile sextortion victim after coercing the victim with threats of reputational harm, falsely indicating that the victim would be unable to go to college or get a job and the victim’s parents would lose their jobs.

In another example, a juvenile sextortion victim hired a company for $2,000 but declined to pay for additional services. The company then told the victim that the sextortion perpetrator had asked for $5,000, and the victim ended up paying $3,200 for additional services.

In a third example, a company representative contacted the mother of a juvenile sextortion victim and offered to locate the sextortionist in exchange for $1,500. The representative also discouraged the victim’s mother from seeking assistance from law enforcement.

Advice for Victims

The FBI advises victims of sextortion to seek assistance from law enforcement and non-profit agencies that provide support at no cost. Victims are also advised to stop interacting with the criminals, immediately contact law enforcement, and file a complaint with the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.

The FBI has also provided a list of indicators that sextortion victims should watch for when being approached with offers of “assistance” services.

These indicators include being asked to pay fees before assistance services are rendered, being required to sign a contract for services, and being discouraged from contacting law enforcement. For-profit companies claiming to be connected to government or law enforcement officials should also be viewed with suspicion.