The objective of sextortion is virtually always monetary gain. According to a 2025 Sextortion Report from Digital Forensics Corp., 98.83% of sextortion cases involved perpetrators demanding money. With the average victim losing roughly $2,400, it’s become one of the most damaging cybercrimes. But what exactly does financial sextortion entail, and what can you do to keep yourself safe online? Read on to learn more.
What is Financial Sextortion?
Financial sextortion is a form of cybercrime in which the perpetrator convinces the victim to disclose intimate images — only to turn around and leverage this content to extort the victim.
Financial sextortion can target anyone of any background, but younger people are at the highest risk. According to the same report from DFC, nearly 60% of sextortion victims are under 40 years of age, with over a quarter in the 18-24 age range.
How Does Financial Sextortion Happen?
Financial sextortion can happen in a variety of ways. The perpetrator could be anyone — from a former romantic partner to a complete stranger online. However, these crimes are often carried out by organized cybercrime groups in concentrated overseas hotspots. As such, they typically follow some adaptation of the following model:
- New Connection: You receive a notification that you’ve been sent a new follow request. You don’t recognize them, but they’ve spent time getting familiar with you behind the scenes.
- Social Engineering: Using the information they’ve learned about you through your various online accounts, your new connection begins manufacturing a rapport. They fake similar interests to forge your trust.
- Intimate Image Exchange: Now that the base level relationship has been established, the conversation becomes sexual. They bombard you with compliments to entice you before requesting that you send them nudes.
- Threats are Made: Once you press send, the conversation flips on its head. The scammer drops their façade and reveals their true intentions. You are met with threats to disclose your content if you don’t pay up.
Common Red Flags
Just as the schemes carried out by sextortionist share many similar traits, so to do the sextortionists themselves. If the person you are speaking with online displays the following characteristics, you should take notice:
- Unusual Profiles: Be cautious of accounts that have just recently been created, have an abnormal number or unnatural assortment of followers, and activity history that feels off.
- Fast Movers: Sextortionists run their scams like a business and look to close their deals quickly. If your new connection begins getting extremely intimate early on, you should question their intentions.
- Requests for Personal Data or Money: Strangers asking you to disclose private information or to send them money or gifts never leads to anything good. No matter how trustworthy they may seem or how sad their sob story may be, do not oblige them.
What to Do if You Fall Victim to Financial Sextortion
If you are past the point of prevention and already faced with financial sextortion threats, you need to try your best to remain calm and take action quickly. This can be a tall ask under the extreme pressure you are dealing with, but sextortion cases require such a rapid response. Collect yourself and proceed with the following.
Don’t Pay and End the Conversation
Paying the sextortionist won’t make them go away. In fact, it often increases both the value and frequency of their demands. DFC’s Sextortion Report found that, of the sextortion victims who paid the perpetrator, roughly 40% received daily threats after complying with nearly a quarter being harassed multiple times a day.
Collect Evidence
The moment you are threatened with having your nudes released, a cybercrime has been committed. You will need evidence to report the instance and successfully argue your case in the legal arena. Take screenshots of the account that has messaged you, any content they have sent you, and any messages that contain threats or details pertaining to the crime.
Report the Sextortionist
With the evidence you’ve gathered, you should report the sextortionist to the appropriate authorities. Start with your local police and work your way up to the national law enforcement agency if necessary. You can learn more by reading our article on reporting cybercrime to the FBI.
You should also inform the system administrator of the platform you were harassed on. This can help get the account removed and any posts featuring your nudes taken down. This is important for your own personal safety and the well-being of all users on the platform.
Consider the Experts: How Digital Forensics Corp. Helps Victims of Financial Sextortion
Here at DFC, we’ve seen just about every form of extortion imaginable. Our handling of thousands of sextortion cases has allowed us to develop proprietary techniques and technology in identifying the perpetrators responsible.
Through IP-to-location and metadata analysis, we can determine the perpetrator’s geolocation, the origin of the files they’ve shared, the devices they’ve used to contact you, and — ultimately — their identity. We can use this information to incentivize the criminal to fully delete your private data.
Our primary objective is to preserve your reputation and prevent the release of your sensitive content. In doing so, we will record a detailed, complete document of our entire investigation. This, in conjunction with our working relationship with law enforcement, ensures your report can be used in future legal proceedings should you choose to take that route.
Our services can transcend past the resolution of your initial case. Our team can provide ongoing monitoring to protect you from similar threats in the future. Furthermore, we can audit your current security system and practices to help you improve your online safety.
Staying Safe in an Ever-Evolving Digital Landscape
Even after successfully recovering from a financial sextortion threat, you need to be aware and active in your security efforts. Unfortunately, the threat of sextortion is never nullified. The next cybercriminal could be waiting in any crevice of the internet. Consider implementing the following practices in your daily online activity to avoid these threats in the future.
Avoid Oversharing: This applies to both the information you post publicly and send in private messages. Sharing places you frequent, tagging your location, and publicly sharing your friends list can help a sextortionist craft a convincing scheme.
Be Cautious of Online Strangers: It is possible to meet good-intentioned individuals online and even develop long-lasting platonic and romantic relationships online. However, you need to approach these interactions with caution and heavily vet your new connections.
Lock Down Profiles: Determine who can view your profile and interact with it by setting your accounts to private and auditing who you allow to follow you. You should use unique passwords for all of your accounts, update them regularly, and utilize 2FA whenever it is offered.
Remain Diligent: The world of cybercrime is constantly evolving as the technology we use continues to advance rapidly. Likewise, you need to maintain your efforts to stay informed of the latest trends in cybersecurity. DFC offers a library of free educational material under the “Blog” tab of our website.
And if you are ever faced with the threat of financial sextortion, remember that you are not alone. The team at DFC is here, and we are ready to help you protect your reputation and regain control of your life. Call us anytime for a free consultation with one of our specialists.
