Security News > 2021 > September > FBI: Sextortion complaints spike leads to $8 million in losses
The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center has warned of a massive increase in sextortion complaints since the start of 2021, resulting in total financial losses of more than $8 million until the end of July.
The federal agency received over 16,000 sextortion complaints until July 31, almost half of them coming from victims in the 20-39 age group.
"Victims over 60 years comprised the third largest reporting age group, while victims under the age of 20 reported the fewest number of complaints," the IC3 said.
As an email scam, sextortion was first seen in July 2018, when fraudsters started emailing targets claiming that they have them recorded on video while browsing adult sites, also including the victims' passwords to increase credibility.
"The fraudster instigates the exchange of sexually explicit material and then encourages the victim to participate via video chat or send their own explicit photos. Immediately after the victim complies, the fraudster blackmails the victim and demands money to prevent the release of the photos or videos on social media."
To make things even scarier for the victims, the crooks also often gain access to their victim's social media or contact info, threatening to send the sexual imagery they got their hands on to the victim's family and friends.