Sextortion Email Scam
Scammers claim webcam recording of you, demand Bitcoin. They have no video—it's mass spam. Old password from data breaches is their "proof." FBI IC3: 86,415 complaints, $143M losses in 2024.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Claims webcam recording without proof
- ⚠Old password included (from breaches)
- ⚠Demands Bitcoin
- ⚠Generic threat applying to anyone
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →DON'T PAY: They have nothing
- →DELETE the email
- →CHANGE PASSWORD if it's current anywhere
- →CHECK haveibeenpwned.com
More Details
- “I've been watching through your webcam”
- “I recorded you on adult websites”
- “Your password is [old password]”
- “Send $2,000 Bitcoin or I release video”
Common Questions
Almost certainly fake. Mass spam with no video. The old password is from public data breaches. Delete and ignore.
From old data breaches. Check haveibeenpwned.com. Change any passwords still in use.
Predators pose as peers, get intimate images, then threaten to share. Teens: tell a trusted adult immediately and report to FBI.
Never. Payment leads to more demands. For fake emails, they have nothing. Report real threats to FBI.
Report This Scam
If you've encountered this scam, report it to help protect others.
Warn Someone You Know
Know someone who might fall for this? Share this warning with them.
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Microsoft Tech Support Scam
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)