Do Sextortionists Give Up?

A victim of a sextortion scam may wonder if a sextortionist will give up their pursuit. The fear and shame of the situation can leave a victim feeling powerless as their explicit images are used as a bargaining tool against them. Once scammers have the leverage they need to exploit their victims, they will become relentless in their extortion tactics.

A sextortionist will pursue their victim for as long as they’re able to maintain contact. Scammers will demand payment of some form in order to keep quiet. 

The extortionist’s tactics, communications, and demands may vary from scammer to scammer. How far they take the issue can also depend on many factors, like their familiarity with their victim and how long they’ve been in contact. 

One of the key tools a scammer employs is the manipulation of their victim. Sextortion victims will likely have built up a rapport with their assailant during the period of time when the scammer courted their victim. 

This false familiarity and the seemingly credible threats keep the victim on the hook while the scam continues, wearing down the mental health of the victim. But will they ever give up? Below, we’ll find the answer.

The Rise of Sextortion

Sextortion has become an increasingly concerning issue. The rise in popularity of social media platforms, dating apps, and online socializing has grown the interest in online sexual behavior. 

The easy access to sending and receiving explicit photos can be enticing to some. The acceptance of sexting and participating in sexual activity through online messaging has many people left vulnerable.

An added layer of complexity to the online world is the ability for anyone, anywhere in the world, to join in. The online world can be completely anonymous, with bad actors creating fake accounts using stolen images and fake information. Someone on the internet can adopt a completely false persona with the intention of catfishing another person.

All of these aspects combined create a breeding ground for online sextortion. Many apps allow for the easy sending and receiving of images, videos, and even video calls. 

A popular app like Snapchat even offers a false sense of security: The images and videos sent between users are set to expire after viewing. This may lead some to believe that sexual images sent through the app will disappear forever. In reality, the user receiving the content can screenshot or screen record what their phone sees, and they’ll be able to keep those images forever.

Many scammers look for any opportunity to find a victim and a way to get paid. They look for communities, large or small, that are potentially vulnerable. Dating apps prove to be a good starting point for some because the users are looking for romantic relationships. 

Apps with low-level security but access to many features for free make good opportunities for them. With a fake profile created and starting conversations with users, they’re able to begin their con. 

The trend of sextortion has only grown, and the increased targeting of financial sextortion against minors is worrisome. The rise in cases of sextortion has many factors ranging from the ease of access to victims, the potential payouts through online blackmail, and the willingness of strangers to engage in sexual acts online.

How Does Sextortion Work?

Sextortion begins with the perpetrator and how they build their layers of anonymity. A scammer will choose a platform they can target and make an account on. 

They will likely be located in a different country from where they plan to extort people. Scammers targeting someone in a different country can make it more difficult for legal action to be taken as they aim to keep themselves from landing in jail.

The account they create will use images taken from a real person. The profile they build could be completely fabricated or lifted from another person. 

They will choose pictures and text that appeal to the general public and will friend request or match with as many people as they can. When a connection is made, they will engage in conversation that leans heavily on flattery.

A key step in the practice of sextortion is the ability of the scammer to social engineer. They may use information in their victim’s profile to find family members or friends. 

The information they gather from conversations with the victim may lead them to the information they need to find out more about their victim. A Google search with the relevant information can quickly lead them to find exactly who they’re talking to and uncover the social media accounts of family members.

With a basis of conversation created, the conversation may turn sexual immediately. The scammer will be relying on the nature of their profile to be an attractive person who would disarm their target by looks alone. The scammer may send explicit photos with the expectation that their victim will send some of their own.

Once their victim supplies explicit images of their own the scammer will begin their attempts to blackmail their target. They will make demands for payment through untraceable means like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or more intimate images. 

If their demands aren’t met they’ll threaten to release the images to the victim’s friends, family, or coworkers. The scammer may provide proof of their ability to reach those people by showing the person screenshots of the people they’ve been able to find.

Will a Sextortionist Give Up?

If a sextortionist has their hooks on a victim, they’ll see that as an opportunity to get paid. The moral-less acts of a scammer can be a terrible situation to deal with. The mixture of kindness and cruelty of a sextortionist can be alarming and traumatic as they manipulate their victim into giving them what they want.

There are two main paths that can occur when dealing with a sextortionist who has successfully received nude photos of their victim:

• One scenario is they receive the content they asked for, and they will threaten their victim with exposure. The victim may give them what they ask for, which is to either pay them or provide them with more. Once the scammer has identified their victim as a source of income they will continue to extort them while being encouraged to go after more targets.
• Another scenario is the victim provides the content but doesn’t pay the extortionist. Even with the blackmail threats over their head, the victim may not be able to give the extortionist what they’re asking for. This can cause the sextortionist to make more threats or change tactics. In both scenarios, the sextortionist scam continues because the lines of communication are left open.

The most likely scenario is that a sextortionist will not act on their threats. The reason for not releasing the images is that it causes the extortionist to lose their ability to make money off the victim. The leverage of the situation is removed, and there is no incentive for the victim to pay to keep the scammer from doing what they’ve already done.

If a scammer acts on their threats, it can increase the level of complications for them by drawing even more attention to what they’ve done. The victim may be more likely to seek help from law enforcement, which could lead to an arrest. Scammers want to remain unnoticed and don’t want to be reported or found out.

Whether the sextortionist gives up relies on many more factors. Each scammer will have a different level of determination when it comes to pursuing their victim. 

They may take different approaches in how they speak to the victim by mixing up bad cop and good cop roles. If their victim threatens to contact the police or block them, it could put an end to all communication on the spot. 

What Can I Do if I’m a Victim of Sextortion?

If you or someone you love has been the victim of a sextortionist, you’ll want to take a few easy steps to remain safe. The best practice would be to take action as soon as possible, but these steps can apply to almost any situation, no matter how far it’s gone. 

Let’s take a look at how to deal with sextortion:

Document the Issue

One of the first things you should do is document the scam before taking any other action. Blocking or taking action against the scammer before documenting the exchanges could remove the evidence. 

Take screenshots of all conversations and interactions with the scammer. Screen record their account and show any information relating to the scammer. Write down any personal accounts or details of things that transpired, especially those that weren’t captured in the screenshots.

Block the Scammer

Cutting off communication with the scammer is important. You don’t want to give them a venue to continue their manipulation tactics against you. Do not pay them, do not engage with them, and block them from your account and any other accounts they create if they attempt to reach you further.

Change Passwords and Activate 2FA

Change the password on your account and any others that may have been affected. Using a secure, strong password can keep your accounts safe. 

For the accounts that allow it, activate two-factor authentication so that even if your old or new password is used to log in, they won’t be able to access the account. Two-factor authentication typically requires a code to access the account.

Secure Your Accounts

Consider setting your accounts to private if the option is available. Remove any information from your biography that shares personal details, don’t have your name on display, and take down or hide any posts with personal or sensitive information. These details are used by scammers to find you, your family, and your friends.

Seek Help

Contact the FBI for any instance of sextortion and blackmail. The FBI likely has a field office near you where a local agent can get in contact with you to assist in the investigation. For issues involving children, the NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) is a great resource for keeping children safe and managing blackmailers.

Contact Digital Forensics Corp

Digital Forensics can help you get control of your situation quickly. Our team of digital forensics engineers, social engineering experts, and lawyers trained in cybercrime work together to take down your sextortionist. Using our proprietary tools, we can trace the scammer through their digital footprint and unveil their true identity. 

We can help document your case for legal purposes and work alongside law enforcement agencies to provide them with the information they need. We’ll work to prevent the release of your sensitive information and content. 

Our experts will assist in getting your online accounts secure and keeping you safe during this difficult time. If you or a loved one is dealing with a sextortionist, our sextortion helpline is available 24/7, and we can get started on your case within 24 hours.

Prevent Sextortion

One of the best ways to prevent sextortion is to take online security seriously. The internet may have more information about you than you realize. Go through your many accounts and make sure that the information publicly available is limited. 

That means setting accounts to private, limiting the amount of information you post about yourself, and going through your current posts and friend list to ensure your current online presence isn’t oversharing or engaging with suspicious accounts.

When encountering a new person for the first time, vet them to ensure the person they present themselves to be is the person they are. Before a relationship online turns sexual you’ll want to take steps to verify who they are. 

Make opportunities to meet in person in a safe public place. If the person lives too far away for an in-person meeting, ask to video call and make sure you can see them clearly and ensure they’re a real person. Staying safe is all about making smart choices online.

Sources:

NCMEC Releases New Sextortion Data | NCMEC

Sextortion: A Growing Threat Targeting Minors | FBI

Sextortion | FBI

Sextortion | NCMEC