Sextortion : fonctionnement, signaux et que faire

Social engineering · alto

In today's most common form, the scammer uses a fake profile of an attractive young person on social media or an online game, flirts and convinces the victim to exchange intimate photos or videos. Right after, they threaten to send it to family, school and followers unless paid in money, gift cards or crypto.

There are also AI-generated fake images made from the victim's ordinary photos, and mass emails claiming "I hacked your webcam", sometimes quoting an old leaked password to seem real; in that case there is usually no recording at all.

The FBI IC3 counted 89,129 extortion complaints in 2025, a category that includes sextortion.

Sinais / Signs

A new, attractive profile that moves quickly to sexual content
A request to move to another app early on
An immediate threat after an image is sent, with a countdown
A list of your followers or relatives shown as proof
An email quoting an old password and demanding bitcoin

Prevenção / Prevention

Talk to children and teens about this scam without judgment
Keep profiles private and limit who sees friend lists
Do not send intimate content to people met online
Change leaked passwords and use MFA
Cover or disable the webcam when not in use if it brings peace of mind

O que fazer / What to do

Do not pay and stop responding; keep screenshots, profiles and messages
Report the profile on the platform
If the victim is a minor, in the US report to NCMEC (CyberTipline) and the FBI; in Brazil, to the police and SaferNet
Use tools like Take It Down (NCMEC) to request removal of images of minors
Reach out to someone you trust; no one has to face this alone

FAQ

If I pay, will they delete the images?

Usually not. Paying tends to bring more demands. Reporting and cutting contact is the safer path.

The email had my real password. Did they hack my computer?

Probably not. The password comes from old leaks. Change it wherever it is still used and ignore the message.

FBI IC3 - Internet Crime Complaint Center · CyberScoop - FBI IC3 annual report coverage · CERT.br · ANPD