The Growing Threat of Sextortion: When a Stranger Claims to Have Video of You

You get an email. The subject line is your name and a string of numbers. Inside, the sender claims they have footage of you visiting adult websites, recorded through a virus on your computer. They threaten to send that video to everyone in your contact list unless you pay them in Bitcoin, usually a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Your gut reaction might be panic, especially if you’re over 45 and less familiar with how these scams operate. But before you even think about transferring money, understand this: it is almost certainly a lie. This is sextortion, a form of digital blackmail that has exploded in recent years, targeting middle-class Americans who are diligent about their privacy, bills, and reputation.

Sextortion scammers are not hackers who broke into your webcam. They are mostly criminals who bought or scraped old password lists from major data breaches. They combine that leaked password with your email address to add a false sense of legitimacy. In the email, they may include one of your old passwords, proving they have some access—but that access is often to a service you stopped using years ago. They have not hacked your current devices. They have no video of you. They are relying on the shock of seeing a real password to make you believe the rest of the threat.

The typical sextortion email uses vague language. It says they placed malware on your computer while you were visiting a pornographic site, that they recorded you through your webcam, and that they have a split-screen video of you and the content you viewed. They demand a payment in Bitcoin to a specific address, usually with a deadline of 24 to 48 hours. Often the email includes your actual email address in the subject line, but that is easy to obtain. The password included in the body is your critical worry point. If you recognize that password, you panic.

For middle-class Americans aged 45 to 64, this scam hits a nerve. You have built a life. You have a career, a family, a church community, a reputation. The idea of a sexually explicit video being sent to your boss, your neighbors, or your children is terrifying. That fear is exactly what the scammers count on. They do not care if you actually visited adult sites. They know that many people will pay just to avoid the embarrassment, even if they are innocent. That makes sextortion a highly profitable crime with little risk to the criminals.

The Federal Trade Commission and the FBI have issued repeated warnings about this scam. In 2022 alone, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 50,000 complaints related to sextortion, with losses exceeding $13 million. But those are only the reported cases. Many victims never come forward. They pay the Bitcoin, and the scammers often ask for more money a few days later, saying they need a “decryption fee” or “additional security deposit.” Some victims pay multiple times, draining savings accounts or retirement funds, before realizing the threat was empty.

What can you do if you receive one of these emails? First, do not respond. Do not click any links in the email. Do not open attachments. Do not send money. Second, change the password that appears in the email immediately. Use a strong, unique password for every account. Enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. Third, run a full antivirus scan on all your devices as a precaution, though the odds of actual malware are low. Fourth, report the email to the FBI’s IC3 at ic3.gov. You can also forward it to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org. Finally, ignore the threat. The scammers rarely follow through on their threats because actually sending the video would require them to have video, which they do not. Even if they send a few emails to your contacts, the damage is contained. Most scammers will move on to the next target once they see no payment.

There is a darker side to sextortion that goes beyond email. Some scammers use social media to befriend younger or older adults, get them to send explicit images voluntarily, and then demand payment to keep those images private. This is a crime called romance or catfishing-based sextortion, and it is more dangerous because real images exist. If you engage in intimate conversations or share photos online, never include your face or identifying information. Be skeptical of anyone who asks for intimate material quickly, especially if you have never met them in person.

For the middle-class American, the best defense is knowledge. Recognize the signs: a generic threat, a demand for cryptocurrency, a deadline, and an old password from a breach. If you get such an email, take a deep breath. You are not being watched. You are being manipulated. Do not let fear turn you into a victim. Delete the email, change your passwords, and get on with your day. Scammers prey on shame and secrecy. The moment you shine a light on their lie, it loses its power.