The FBI identifies sextortion as the fastest-spreading cybercrime today. Social media and dating platforms are commonly associated with sextortion, but email is another tool often exploited by these criminals. In fact, email is one of the most used platforms for sextortion, according to a 2025 study from Digital Forensics Corp. A recent and growing email-based sextortion tactic involves criminals who claim to have compromising videos of victims and threaten to release them. These claims of surveillance and video recordings can be terrifying to face. However, the claims are rarely what they seem.
Understanding The New Email-Based Sextortion Scheme
Unlike other schemes that begin with a fraudulent relationship, this email-based cybercrime begins with a direct email from the sextortionist. The email contains a terrifying claim — they have hacked your device and captured incriminating video using your webcam. They typically claim to have recorded the explicit footage while you were browsing adult websites, threatening to send the video to your family or friends within hours. They claim that the only way to stop them from exposing the video is to pay them in Bitcoin as soon as possible.
However, it’s rare that the cybercriminal actually possesses anything incriminating on the victim. Depending on the timing, the email threat asking for money may be a direct result of a data breach exposing your contact information. These emails threatening to expose videos are typically empty threats. They send their emails to hundreds of people, hoping that the message aligns with someone’s real-life behavior. All it takes is one person to believe the message for the scheme to be effective.
Variations of the Email Sextortion Scheme
Some of the emails claiming to have filmed you are designed for a different purpose. They may not rely solely on threats to force compliance, instead including a malicious link or attachment as an added tactic. When you click on the link or attachment, malware is deployed onto your device, giving the sextortionist access to your sensitive data.
Another version of the email uses personal details of the victim, found in data breaches or on public profiles, to seem more credible. This can include full names, phone numbers, addresses, home photos, and more.
Some victims have even claimed to have received threats from their own email address. In some cases, cybercriminals gain access to a victim’s email account and send a message from the same address to grab your attention. It’s a scare tactic that feeds into their fake story that they infiltrated your network and have been spying on you.
What To Do If Threatened via Email
- Stay calm. It’s important to remember that most sextortion email threats are empty. The criminals depend on scare tactics to pressure victims into complying.
- Look for signs of account breaches. The cybercriminal may have used information from a data breach to gain access to your email account. Check for any strange activity, such as a changed password, unfamiliar logins, or suspicious emails.
- Collect evidence. Take screenshots of the conversations with the perpetrator. Be sure to include all the information you can provide, including the date and time. This can help the police establish a timeline of events.
- Notify the email service provider and FTC. Make sure to chart the email with the platform provider. You should also inform the FTC of the scheme. They have a website dedicated to tracking online crimes.
- Seek help from law enforcement. Your local police department is a valuable resource for victims of sextortion. Even if the criminal is making empty threats, many departments have cybercrime units that specialize in identifying anonymous perpetrators. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the national hub for tracking cybercrimes. You should also notify them to help the FBI track national trends.
- Work with cybersecurity professionals. Private cybersecurity firms can follow the digital trail left by the criminal and discover any exposed information in data breaches. They will also help you strengthen the security on your devices and online accounts.
What NOT To Do If Threatened via Email
Being targeted with claims of surveillance and incriminating recordings is frightening and can cause significant emotional distress. Many victims feel compelled to pay the ransom or respond to the threats to protect themselves in case the cybercriminal is telling the truth. However, that would be a mistake. Just as there are actions you should take, there are also many behaviors that can make the situation worse. Continue reading to learn about what you shouldn’t do during email-based sextortion.
- Don’t ignore it. If you’re being targeted in an email-based sextortion scheme, it’s likely that your information was exposed in a data breach. They may attempt to access your online accounts or steal financial information.
- Don’t pay. You should never comply with a cybercriminal’s demands. Not only does this encourage them to demand more money from you, but it doesn’t even deter the criminal from releasing any compromising information.
- Don’t respond or delete the email. Any reply to the email saying they have video of you only enables the perpetrator to make more demands. However, deleting the message is also discouraged. Doing so removes any digital footprint the perpetrator may have left behind. It’s best to preserve the email for law enforcement or cybercrime experts to use in their investigations.
- Don’t click on links or attachments. Always exercise caution with all links and attachments, especially those coming from unfamiliar email addresses. They may contain malicious content and can create an even larger issue.
Update Your Password and Enable Two-Factor Authentication
When it comes to receiving threats in email, it’s best to assume that your personal information is involved in a data breach. Sextortionists may even include an old or leaked password in their threatening email to make the message feel more legitimate. You need to update all your passwords to ensure your accounts are secure. Enabling two-factor authentication is also an essential step in preventing hackers from gaining access, even with your login credentials.
How Digital Forensic Corp. Supports Victims of Email-Based Sextortion
If you are a victim of email-based sextortion, you don’t have to go through the experience alone. At Digital Forensic Corp., our mission is to protect individuals from bad actors looking to exploit them. We are available 24/7 to help victims of cybercrimes, especially sextortion.
Our digital forensic experts specialize in tracing the digital footprint of online criminals – revealing their geolocation and, in some cases, identity. We may also be able to recover any lost funds as a result of the sextortion, even if you paid through cryptocurrency.
Don’t panic if you have received an email-based threat. Contact DFC today to have experts working alongside you to protect your privacy and fight back against the culprit.
