How to Deal with Sextortion Emails?

With the rise of cybercrimes, sextortion emails have become a common occurrence. If you have received a sextortion email, your next steps could be crucial to avoid your personal info getting breached further. In this blog post, we will discuss all you need to know on how to deal with sextortion emails.

Understanding Sextortion Emails

When it comes to sextortion emails, it is important to understand that they can be a real threat and often prey on fear and misinformation. Typically, they involve an email from an unknown sender that claims to have hacked into your device or account and gained access to sensitive information or images. They then threaten to release or share this information publicly unless you pay a ransom. However, in many cases, this is a bluff. The hacker does not have access to your information; they have obtained your email address and password from a data breach or phishing scam.

Additionally, you should always take these emails seriously and further investigate any possible breaches. You can check your email for breaches on websites like Have I Been Pwned. Simply enter your email into their search and look for the generated results. If anything comes up, we suggest securing or changing your email address right away.

How to Assess the Credibility of the Sextortion Email?

Let’s face it receiving dozens of emails a day can be particularly exhausting, especially when they start to include threats of sextortion. Before you panic and pay the ransom, assessing the email’s credibility is crucial. So how can you know the difference? Well, below, we listed a few key things our experts say to look out for:

1. The first thing to consider is the source of the email. Is it from someone you know, or is it from a random email address?
2. Another vital factor to consider is the content of the email. Does it contain specific personal information, such as your full name or social media handles, which could suggest that the scammer has access to your private accounts?
3. If the email does not address you by name, contains spelling or grammatical errors, or has a generic subject line, there is a high chance it is a scam.
4. Finally, if the email contains a deadline for payment, it is likely a scam. Legitimate organizations would not set such a short deadline for payment.

It is critical to keep in mind that scammers often use fear as a tactic to pressure their victims into giving in to their demands. By taking the time to assess the credibility of the sextortion email carefully, you can make an informed decision and take steps to protect yourself.

How to Deal with Sextortion Emails?

If you receive a sextortion email, the first thing to do is not to panic or pay the ransom! Instead, report the email immediately and change your passwords for all online accounts. Report the email to your email service provider and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

Report Sextortion/Phishing Email:

Google Mail/ Gmail:

1. On a computer, go to Gmail.
2. Open the message.
3. Next to Reply, click More.
4. Click Report phishing.

Yahoo:

1. Open the Yahoo Mail app on your Android, iPhone, or iPad. It is the purple-and-white envelope icon on your home screen or the app list.
2. Tap the message you want to report. The contents of the message will appear.
3. Tap More. It is at the bottom-right corner of the screen. And click all that apply.

Outlook:

1. In Outlook, highlight the email you want to report as Junk or Phishing.
2. you should have a Junk drop-down selection in the top Ribbon.
3. Choose Report as Junk or Report as Phishing
4. The email will automatically be sent to Microsoft to improve the spam filters in the future.

To prevent future sextortion attempts, increasing your online security measures and being vigilant while browsing the internet is important. Use strong and unique passwords for all accounts, enable two-factor authentication, and avoid using public Wi-Fi for sensitive transactions.

Additionally, if the threat persists, you should involve a third-party company to help. Digital Forensics has top-of-the-line technology and experience in dealing with these cyber criminals. Do not handle this online sextortion alone and risk your information further; talk to an expert today!

Conclusion

Sextortion emails can be scary, but keeping a level head and taking the necessary precautions can protect yourself from becoming a victim. It is crucial to assess the credibility of the email before responding or paying the ransom. Instead, delete/block the email, change your passwords, and report it to the relevant authorities. Remember to increase your online security measures to prevent future attacks and always report sextortion. Stay safe online, and keep in mind these tips on how to deal with sextortion emails.