"I Know Your Password" Sextortion Email Scam
Scam email subject line
[Your actual password] — I know what you've been doing
Known variants
Your privacy has been invaded
I have footage of you — pay now
You have 48 hours to respond
This is not a joke — your webcam was hacked
Payment required to prevent video release
FBI IC3 2024: sextortion complaints surged 59% to 54,936 cases with $33.5M in losses. The 'I know your password' variant uses a real leaked password (from old data breaches) to appear credible. The password in the subject line is real — but the webcam hack claim is false. FBI confirms these are mass blasts using breach databases.
Reports
54,936 FBI IC3 complaints 2024 — 59% surge; $33.5M in losses
First documented
2018
Last active
2026-03
⚠ Email subject lines can be spoofed or randomized. Scammers frequently vary subject lines to evade spam filters. This page documents a subject line pattern reported to official government agencies. It is not a factual determination about any specific sender. Contact [email protected] if you believe your organization is listed in error.
Who this email pretends to be from
What this scam email says
Email subject line contains one of your real passwords (sourced from old data breaches available on the dark web). Body claims your webcam was hacked while you visited adult sites and that video footage will be sent to all your contacts unless you pay $1,000-$2,000 in Bitcoin within 48 hours. The webcam hack is false — the only real element is the leaked password from a breach years ago.
What this scam email looks like
From: [randomized sender] Subject: [your actual leaked password] I know your password: [your actual leaked password] I have been observing your online activity for several months. I installed malware on an adult site you visited and recorded you via your webcam. I have a video of you. If you do not pay me $1,400 in Bitcoin within 48 hours, I will send this video to all your contacts. Bitcoin wallet: [wallet address] Do not reply to this email. Do not contact police. [No recording exists — password is from a data breach, not a webcam hack]
Reconstructed example for educational purposes. Not a verbatim reproduction.
Scam email subject line variants
- •[Your actual password] — I know what you've been doing
- •Your privacy has been invaded
- •I have footage of you — pay now
- •You have 48 hours to respond
- •This is not a joke — your webcam was hacked
- •Payment required to prevent video release
5 red flags
FBI IC3 2024: sextortion surged 59% — 54,936 complaints in one year
The real password was obtained from dark web breach databases (not your webcam)
No recording exists — this is a mass-blast template with your name/password inserted automatically
FBI: paying only marks you as a target who will pay — scammers send more demands
$33.5M in losses in 2024 — victims who pay lose an average of $600
What to do
Do not pay — no recording exists, this is always false
Change the leaked password on any site where you still use it
Check if your email appears in known breaches at haveibeenpwned.com
Report to FBI IC3 at ic3.gov — mark as 'extortion'
Report to FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov
Report this email scam
Source
FBI IC3 2024 — 54,936 extortion/sextortion complaints, 59% surge from 2023, $33.5M in losses; FTC sextortion consumer guidance
https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2024/PSA240605 ↗Related scam email patterns
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Frequently asked questions
Is an email with subject "[Your actual password] — I know what you've been doing" a scam?▼
FBI IC3 2024: sextortion complaints surged 59% to 54,936 cases with $33.5M in losses. The 'I know your password' variant uses a real leaked password (from old data breaches) to appear credible. The password in the subject line is real — but the webcam hack claim is false. FBI confirms these are mass blasts using breach databases.
What does this scam email say?▼
Email subject line contains one of your real passwords (sourced from old data breaches available on the dark web). Body claims your webcam was hacked while you visited adult sites and that video footage will be sent to all your contacts unless you pay $1,000-$2,000 in Bitcoin within 48 hours. The we…
What should I do if I received this email?▼
Do not pay — no recording exists, this is always false Change the leaked password on any site where you still use it Check if your email appears in known breaches at haveibeenpwned.com
Who does this email pretend to be from?▼
This scam impersonates: No sender spoof — relies on real leaked password for credibility. FBI IC3 2024: sextortion surged 59% — 54,936 complaints in one year
Received a suspicious email?
Paste the email text or subject line — check it instantly, free.
Check your email →Source: FBI IC3 2024 — 54,936 extortion/sextortion complaints, 59% surge from 2023, $33.5M in losses; FTC sextortion consumer guidance
First documented: 2018 · Last active: 2026-03
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