How to Recognize an Extortion Scam
Author: Aurelijus Panasiukas
Sending fake threats is a common tactic to scam money from victims. Extortion scammers take this to a new level by focusing only on threats to scare victims into giving them money. There are many types of extortion scams: sextortion – focusing on people who might have visited adult sites, bomb threats, kidnapping or any new threats that come up. Scammers might use old passwords or phone numbers gathered from data breaches to convince victims that they are serious.
Characteristics of an extortion scam
- Data: Scammers will include your current or old data, like a password, in their threat. You may be surprised to know that this kind of information is not that hard to acquire.
- Generic: Scammers usually do not include any specific details such as the recipient’s name or which site they visited. If you read the email carefully, it can apply to anyone.
- Short deadlines: Scammers use fear and high-pressure tactics. They demand that you must pay within 24 to 48 hours.
- Bitcoins: Scammers most of the time ask for money to be transferred to their Bitcoin wallet. They insist that they are checking the wallet regularly and if they do not get money within the deadline, the consequences will be tremendous.
- Poor writing: Check the text carefully and see whether they use weird grammar. Mistakes and wrong spelling are often seen in these emails.
How to avoid an extortion scam
- Do not panic: After coming across such an email, take a deep breath and read it again to see if it fits the profile of a scam.
- Do not reply: Do not try to get into the conversation with the scammer. This can lead to more emails and attempts by the scammer to make you install ransomware. Do not click on any links or images provided as an attachment.
- Do not pay: Do not pay just to make sure it is not real. Once you paid, either the same or the next person is going to use this to extract more money.
- Check online: Check for the same phrases, names, and templates online. The same email is sent to thousands of potential victims and usually, someone might have already reported it as a scam.
- Secure your accounts: If the scammer had your password or any personal details, change your passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
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