Explore the Archive

Dating app scams are increasingly common due to anonymity, rising platform usage, and scammers' ability to exploit users' emotional vulnerability when seeking companionship. Red flags include overly perfect profiles, story inconsistencies, reluctance to meet in person, requests for money, and use of stock photos; common scam types include fake emergencies, phishing, investment fraud, and blackmail schemes. Users can protect themselves by verifying profiles through reverse image searches, meeting only in public places, guarding personal information, and reporting suspicious activity.

A personalized variant of the sextortion scam is circulating via email, claiming to have compromised recipients' webcams and threatening to release fabricated videos unless victims pay approximately $2,000 in Bitcoin within 24 hours. The emails now include recipients' names and photos of their homes obtained from online mapping services like Google Maps, along with threats to contact them physically or distribute videos to their contacts. The FBI advises victims not to send compromising images, to avoid opening suspicious attachments, and to cover webcams; those targeted should report incidents to their local FBI office or call 1-800-CALL-FBI.

Sextortion scammers are now incorporating personal information and Google Street View photos of victims' homes into threatening emails to increase intimidation and credibility. The emails claim the sender has compromised the victim's computer and recorded them via webcam, demanding $2,000-$2,200 in Bitcoin within 24 hours or threatening to distribute the video to contacts. The FBI reports these scams originate primarily from West Africa and Southeast Asia, and recommends victims not send money, disable webcams, report the accounts to platforms, and contact law enforcement.

Online blackmail scams are sending hundreds of thousands of personalized emails threatening to expose embarrassing footage or compromising information, often including victims' names and addresses obtained from public databases. These scams can be identified by vague language, urgent deadlines, and lack of specific details about alleged misconduct—legitimate threats would include evidence. To protect yourself, use email filters and spam reporting tools offered by providers like Gmail or Outlook, never reply to or pay blackmail emails, and report them as phishing.

The "Hello pervert" sextortion scam has evolved to include new pressure tactics: threatening to use Pegasus spyware and including photos of victims' homes obtained from Google Maps and data breaches. Scammers use stolen passwords from previous data breaches and falsely claim to have compromising footage of victims viewing pornography, demanding payment within 24 hours or threatening to share the content with contacts and visit their physical addresses. These threats are entirely fraudulent—Pegasus is government-controlled spyware never used by common criminals, and scammers have no actual footage or surveillance capability.

Online blackmail scams are rising, with scammers sending mass emails that threaten to expose embarrassing footage or information, often personalized with publicly available details like names, addresses, and street view images to appear credible. These emails can be identified as fraudulent by looking for red flags such as urgent deadlines, awkward wording, generic language, and a lack of specific details about the alleged compromising content. Recipients should not reply to or pay these emails, instead reporting them as phishing or spam to their email provider or IT department, as legitimate blackmailers would provide specific evidence of their claims.

The FBI received over 880,000 complaints about online blackmail scams in a single year, indicating the widespread prevalence of this fraud type. Online blackmail scams involve criminals threatening to expose compromising information or images unless victims pay money, targeting vulnerable individuals across age groups.

Portland-area residents are being targeted by an increased wave of blackmail cyber scams in which fraudsters threaten to expose internet browsing history or sensitive personal information unless victims pay in cryptocurrency, using tactics like including the target's address and photos of their home to appear credible. Police advise recipients to simply delete such emails without opening attachments, as there are rarely follow-ups and no confirmed cases of Portland residents losing money to the scam. Suspicious emails should be reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Security.org surveyed over 1,100 Americans and identified peer-to-peer payment apps as the top scam threat for 2024, with 63% of users experiencing scam attempts, followed by phishing texts, cryptocurrency schemes, and social media fraud. The research revealed that half of cryptocurrency owners have been targeted by pump-and-dump schemes, one in four social media users report scams, and 70% of Americans receive suspicious texts. Security experts recommend verifying recipient identities before P2P transfers, sending $1 test payments, using two-factor authentication, and only investing through reputable platforms to minimize fraud risk.

A new sextortion email scam variant targets spouses by falsely claiming to have evidence of infidelity, with links to alleged proof, demanding payment of $500 to $5,000. The scammers use personal information including full names, maiden names, and pet names—potentially sourced from wedding planning sites like The Knot—to increase credibility and distress. While most recipients recognized the emails as scams and deleted them, authorities stress that these emails are fraudulent and recipients should not click the links, which may lead to phishing pages or malware distribution.

Security experts warn of an evolving sextortion scam that uses victims' home addresses and photos sourced from Google Maps to increase psychological pressure and extract Bitcoin payments of $2,000-$2,200. The emails falsely claim the sender has compromised the victim's computer and recorded them via webcam, threatening to release fabricated videos to their contacts within 24 hours unless ransom is paid. The FBI recommends victims not comply with demands, avoid sending compromising images, cover webcams, and report incidents to law enforcement at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

"Sextortion" scams use fabricated claims of spyware and compromised webcams to extort victims, threatening to share alleged intimate videos or browsing history with contacts unless Bitcoin is paid. Scammers obtain victims' personal information—names, addresses, and photos—from public online sources and data breaches, then send targeted-seeming emails that are actually sent to numerous people in bulk. The FBI recommends reporting such extortion attempts to 1-800-CALL-FBI and advises victims to cover webcams and blur their homes on Google Maps, as these scams rely on easily accessible public information rather than actual spyware.

"Hustle kingdoms" are informal training academies operating in West Africa (particularly Ghana and Nigeria) that teach individuals digital fraud techniques, with graduates carrying out online romance scams, business email compromise, and sextortion targeting victims globally. The U.S. lost approximately $50 billion to online scams in 2023, many linked to West African fraudsters, as these operations have evolved from 1980s-90s "business centres" into a coordinated global threat with hierarchical structures and increasingly sophisticated tactics. The phenomenon reflects a complex socioeconomic dynamic where some perpetrators justify their crimes as retaliation for historical injustices, while law enforcement and researchers emphasize the

Metro Detroit residents received threatening extortion emails containing their names, lewd accusations of illicit behavior, and photos of their homes (likely sourced from Google) demanding small "donations" to prevent alleged compromising footage from being shared on social media. Birmingham police confirmed the scam and advised residents not to click any links in the emails, with victims like Elaine Bono and her daughter receiving multiple copies despite deleting them.

Billions of dollars are lost annually to scams targeting older Americans, with the FBI reporting over $3 billion in losses in 2023 alone, including devastating cases such as romance scams, sextortion schemes, and AI-enabled impersonations that have cost some seniors their entire life savings. The AARP Fraud Watch Network receives more than 100,000 calls yearly from affected seniors, and experts testified before U.S. Congress emphasizing that criminals continue to evolve their tactics with increasing sophistication. Lawmakers are responding with bipartisan legislation and recommendations for education, public outreach, and federal efforts to combat spoofing and robocalls as key strategies to protect vulnerable seniors.

"Hustle kingdoms" are informal training academies in West Africa (particularly Ghana and Nigeria) that teach individuals digital fraud techniques, including romance scams and business email compromise schemes, with graduates exporting these skills globally and contributing to an estimated $50 billion in online scam losses in the United States in 2023 alone. These operations evolved from 1980s-90s "business centres" and function as hierarchical knowledge hubs where novices learn sophisticated fraud tactics from experienced scammers. Some perpetrators justify their crimes as restitution for historical colonial exploitation, while employing both psychological manipulation and supernatural tactics like "juju magic" to defraud victims worldwide.

Scammers are conducting evolved sextortion scams that use fear tactics and images of victims' homes (obtained from data breaches or public listings) to extort money via email, claiming to have compromising videos and demanding Bitcoin payments of around $2,000. The scams falsely reference advanced spyware like "Pegasus" to appear credible, though legitimate cybersecurity experts note these threats are bluffs since actual spyware installation would make ransom demands unnecessary. Protection strategies include blurring your home on Google Maps, avoiding sharing personal information online, and recognizing common red flags in scammer communications.

Herkimer police are warning residents about multiple scams circulating in the area, including blackmail schemes where fraudsters claim to have installed spyware and threaten to release compromising information unless victims pay (such as $2,000 in bitcoin), and police impersonation scams where criminals falsely claim that Herkimer Police are searching for the victim. The article also highlights emerging AI-enabled threats including romance scams ("pig butchering") and virtual kidnapping ransom schemes where criminals use cloned voices to impersonate loved ones, urging residents to verify requests directly with police rather than through third parties.

The Atherton Police Department warned residents of a widespread extortion email scam in which fraudsters claim to have malware access to victims' computers and threaten to release sensitive information and photos unless paid in Bitcoin; the scam includes fabricated images of victims' homes sourced from Google Maps and other public sources to appear credible. Multiple Atherton residents reported receiving these "sextortion" emails, which exploit publicly available personal data harvested from previous data breaches, though police confirm the threats are false and victims should delete the emails immediately without responding or paying.

Scammers are conducting sextortion attacks that now include Google Street View images of victims' addresses to intimidate them into paying cryptocurrency fees. The attackers claim to have pornographic evidence and access to Pegasus spyware, using personalized emails with victims' addresses, phone numbers, and automatically-generated street images to imply they have visited or surveilled the target's location. Security researchers warn these attacks are difficult to detect because they use random Gmail addresses and avoid malicious attachments or URLs.

Maryland State Police warned residents about a sextortion scam in which victims receive threatening emails containing their names, Google Street View photos of their homes, and false claims of spyware installation and pornography viewing, demanding $2,000 in Bitcoin within 24 hours or threatening to expose them to contacts. The scam uses publicly available information to intimidate victims; authorities recommend deleting suspicious emails without clicking links and reporting to local police or the FBI rather than paying.

The Wheat Ridge Police Department warned of a cryptocurrency extortion scam circulating through the community in which victims receive emails containing personal information (addresses, photos from Google Maps) and threats of blackmail involving fabricated malware and compromising videos, demanding cryptocurrency payment via Bitcoin QR code. None of the Wheat Ridge residents who received these emails fell victim to the scam, though police emphasized the importance of reporting such attempts to raise community awareness. The scam exploits urgency and fear through false claims, reflecting a broader national problem—Americans lost over $5.5 billion to cryptocurrency scams in 2023, with Colorado reporting more than 1,300 fraud cases costing residents $81 million

The Snoqualmie Police Department is warning residents about a "Pegasus" sextortion scam variation where attackers send threatening emails claiming to possess explicit photos or videos and include personal details like Google Maps photos of victims' homes, demanding ransom payment within 24 hours. Law enforcement advises residents not to respond to or pay these scams and to delete the emails immediately, as the threats are false and information often comes from public sources or past data breaches. The FBI recommends avoiding compromising photos, suspicious email attachments, and leaving webcams exposed to prevent victimization.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scammer and returned the funds to Spanish citizen Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, with the handover made to Spain's Ambassador to Nigeria in September 2024. The recovery was achieved through collaboration between the EFCC and Spanish Police, highlighting the importance of international cooperation in combating cross-border financial crimes. EFCC leadership emphasized the agency's commitment to preventing Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for financial criminals and called for continued global partnership among law enforcement agencies to address the borderless nature of internet fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scammer and returned the funds to Spanish victim Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann in collaboration with Spanish Police. The EFCC Executive Chairman formally handed over the recovered assets to the Spanish Ambassador on September 20, 2024, emphasizing that the case demonstrates the importance of international law enforcement cooperation in combating borderless financial crimes. The recovery underscores both countries' commitment to preventing Nigeria from becoming a safe haven for financial criminals and fraudsters engaged in romance scams and similar schemes.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recovered €5,100 from a Nigerian romance scam and returned the funds to a Spanish citizen, Heinz Burchard Einhaus Uchtmann, through the Spanish Ambassador to Nigeria. The handover highlighted successful international cooperation between Nigerian and Spanish law enforcement agencies in combating transnational financial crimes, with EFCC leadership emphasizing their commitment to making Nigeria inhospitable for romance scammers and other fraudsters.

The New York State Police warned the public about a nationwide automated sextortion scam in which fraudsters use illegally obtained email addresses and personal information purchased on the dark web to contact victims, threatening to release compromising material unless victims pay extortion fees. The scammers employ intimidation and threats of embarrassment to coerce payments from targets.

Romance scams cost thousands of Americans millions of dollars annually, with the FTC reporting 64,003 romance scam complaints in the previous year totaling $1.14 billion in losses (median $2,000 per victim). A Malwarebytes survey found that 66% of respondents were targeted by romance scammers, with 10% losing over $10,000 and 3% losing $100,000 or more, though 40% of victims never reported the fraud due to shame or lack of faith in law enforcement. Scammers typically build trust over weeks or months through online dating platforms and social media before requesting money or personal information, with 94%

This educational guide explains romance scams, a type of fraud where criminals build fake romantic relationships to extract money from victims. The article outlines common tactics (including catfishing), warning signs, and vulnerable populations targeted by scammers, while noting that the FTC reported $304 million in losses from romance scams in 2020—a 50% increase from 2019. The guide provides advice on protecting oneself and recovering from romance fraud, emphasizing that victims should not be blamed for falling for such schemes.

This podcast episode features threat researcher Selena Larson discussing common online scams targeting teenagers, including sextortion/blackmail, job and scholarship scams, malware-laden game advertisements, shopping imposter scams, phishing attacks, and payment app fraud. Larson explains that scammers use social engineering techniques to manipulate teens emotionally—posing as authority figures, attractive individuals, or legitimate businesses—to trick them into sending money, compromising photos, or sensitive information. Key red flags include unsolicited offers that seem too good to be true, requests for payment upfront, and pressure to act quickly.

This article addresses a widespread "sextortion" phishing scam in which recipients receive threatening emails claiming hackers have compromised their computers and possess embarrassing photos or browsing history, demanding payment in bitcoin to prevent the information from being shared with contacts. The scammers use publicly available personal information (names, addresses, house photos from Google Street View) obtained from data breaches to create a false appearance of authenticity, but they have not actually hacked the recipients. The article advises recipients not to pay the ransom and recommends changing passwords, freezing credit, and monitoring for identity theft to protect against future scams using leaked personal data.

Sextortion scams are rapidly increasing, with the FBI reporting dramatic spikes in incidents targeting boys aged 14-17, where online criminals pose as attractive girls on social media to solicit nude photos and then blackmail victims with threats to share the images publicly. The scammers often continue demanding additional photos or money even after victims comply, and victims frequently remain silent due to fear and embarrassment, sometimes with tragic consequences. Parents are urged to educate children about the dangers of sharing intimate photos, and victims can report incidents to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.

A Komando staff member describes four active email scams currently circulating: a $40,000 fake invoice scheme that impersonates business contacts and uses social engineering to trick finance staff into payment; fake subscription receipt emails designed to extract credit card information or phone calls; sextortion scams threatening to share fabricated embarrassing footage unless victims pay Bitcoin; and direct deposit phishing emails attempting to steal banking information and business data. The article advises recipients to verify requests through established channels, be suspicious when normal approval procedures are bypassed, and recognize that scammers often lack the information they claim to possess.

Between March and August 2024, Santander UK customers lost £3.8 million to romance scams, representing a 27% increase from the previous six months, with victims ranging in age from 18 to 93 and losing an average of £4,500 each. A survey found that nearly one-third of respondents would send money to someone they've known for less than six months, while half had received suspicious romantic messages online. The bank advises potential victims to remove emotion from financial decisions, verify photos through reverse image searches, request video calls, and never share personal or banking information with new online contacts.

In the first six months of 2024, Americans lost $65 million to Bitcoin ATM scams, with losses increasing nearly 10-fold since 2023. Scammers use various tactics—such as impersonating law enforcement and threatening arrest—to manipulate victims into depositing cash at Bitcoin ATMs; one Houston man lost nearly $60,000 after being told he had an active warrant. The median loss across all ages is $10,000, though consumers over 60 are more frequently targeted, and the FTC warns that if anyone directs you to use a Bitcoin ATM, it is a scam.

Federal officials warn of rapidly increasing cryptocurrency scams where fraudsters establish fake romantic or professional relationships on dating apps, social media, and messaging platforms, then convince victims to invest in crypto on fraudulent platforms. Consumers lost an estimated $5.6 billion to crypto-related scams in 2023 (up 45% from 2022), with relationship scams being the most prominent type and averaging $178,000 in losses per victim; the SEC brought its first enforcement actions against these schemes in operations involving platforms like WhatsApp and LinkedIn.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime issued a report warning that digital scamming in Southeast Asia is rapidly expanding and becoming more sophisticated through the integration of generative AI, deepfakes, and cryptocurrency theft tools. Criminal networks have trafficked approximately 200,000 people into compounds across Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos over the past five years to operate scams, with "pig butchering" investment schemes alone defrauding victims of around $75 billion, while organized crime groups in the region earned an estimated $37 billion last year. These criminal operations are increasingly using AI-generated content, deepfake videos, and automated tools to overcome language barriers and scale their scams globally, low

Instagram is implementing new safety features to combat sextortion scams targeting teens, including filtering suspicious follow requests, alerting users to messages from different countries, restricting scammers' ability to view follower lists, and automatically blurring nude images in direct messages. Meta simultaneously removed 800 Facebook groups and 820 accounts linked to the "Yahoo Boys" sextortion network that was recruiting and training scammers. These updates address findings that Instagram and Snapchat are the most common platforms used by sextortion scammers for initial contact with victims.

**Summary:** Instagram announced new platform features designed to combat sextortion scams, which involve criminals stealing intimate images and extorting victims for payment by threatening exposure. The new protections include blocking screenshots of disappearing stories, preventing suspicious accounts from viewing followers and tagged photos, alerting users when chatting with international contacts, and automatically blurring nude images on Teen Accounts. The FBI reported over 13,000 sextortion scams involving minors from 2021 to 2023, with most victims being males ages 13-17 and perpetrators primarily from West Africa and East Asia.

Kirat Assi, a 44-year-old London woman, was victimized by a nine-year catfishing scam perpetrated by her cousin Simran Bhogal, who created a fake online romance using the false identity of "Bobby Jandu," a cardiologist, and fabricated elaborate excuses to prevent in-person meetings. While Assi's case was unusual in involving no financial loss, charities report a 189-200 percent increase in catfishing cases overall, where perpetrators typically use emotional manipulation to extort money from victims, with some engaging in "sextortion" targeting teenagers. Assi won a civil settlement in 2

Extortion, particularly sextortion scams, ranked among the top five internet crimes in the FBI's 2023 report with over 48,000 cases, according to a Better Business Bureau warning. Sextortion scams operate through two primary methods: phishing (claiming to have hacked victims' devices and recorded compromising material) and romance schemes (building trust through fake relationships before blackmailing victims for money). Victims have reported losses ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars, with the scams exploiting fear of public embarrassment and loneliness to pressure victims into paying via bitcoin, gift cards, or wire transfers.

A 75-year-old North Adams man lost over $400,000 in a tech support scam that operated from June to September, in which a caller posing as a federal agent convinced the victim to withdraw cash and hand it to couriers, claiming he was implicated in money laundering. Boston resident Urvishkumar Vipulkumar Patel, 21, was arrested after an FBI sting operation at the victim's home and charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud; he claimed he was hired to pick up packages and deliver them for a cut. The FBI advises that legitimate federal agencies never request money by phone or send couriers to collect funds

Online scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated, with fraudsters employing impersonation, voice-changing technology, and emotional manipulation to steal money and personal information from victims. Common schemes include "nude video call" blackmail on WhatsApp, voice-mimicking scams impersonating distressed family members, fake customs fees for parcels, lottery winnings requiring upfront payments, and romance scams. The article advises verifying caller identities through callbacks, avoiding unsolicited video calls from unknown numbers, confirming with legitimate companies before payments, and exercising caution when sharing personal information with people met only online.

Criminals are sending emails falsely claiming to have hacked victims' computers or webcams and threatening to release compromising sexual images unless cryptocurrency is paid, using personal details from public data breaches to increase credibility. There is no evidence these scammers actually have access to victims' devices; recipients should delete emails, not pay, and report to authorities if they believe their information has been compromised. Hundreds of people have been targeted with this sextortion scam, and support services are available for those affected.

Scammers are exploiting personal vulnerabilities through sophisticated cons that leverage information people share online. Two prevalent scams include sextortion emails that threaten to release fabricated compromising footage unless victims pay in Bitcoin, and pet-related scams where fraudsters build trust through fake social media accounts before requesting money for veterinary care of supposedly found animals. Consumers can protect themselves by scrutinizing new or empty social media profiles and using free scanning tools to detect scams and monitor data exposure.

Scammers are sending sextortion emails that include photos of victims' houses obtained from Google Street View, claiming to have compromising videos and demanding Bitcoin ransom while threatening to expose the content to contacts. The scams exploit data from previous breaches to personalize threats and create false credibility, though scammers do not actually possess any videos or camera access. Victims should not pay ransom or respond to emails but instead report the scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Division, monitor their credit, and check for unauthorized charges.

Scammers are sending extortion emails that include photos of victims' houses obtained from Google Street View, threatening to expose supposed explicit content videos and demanding Bitcoin payment within a short timeframe. The emails falsely claim the scammers have stolen passwords, installed malware, and recorded victims through their cameras, but these threats are fabricated—the scammers have no actual compromising videos or camera access. Victims should not pay the ransom or respond to emails, and should instead report the scam to the FBI's Internet Crime Division at IC3.gov.

Scammers are sending sextortion emails that include photos of victims' homes (obtained from Google Street View) and falsely claim to have installed malware, recorded compromising videos, and stolen passwords, demanding Bitcoin payment within a short timeframe. The scam exploits personal information from data breaches and uses intimidation tactics, but the threats are not genuine—scammers have no actual videos or camera access. Victims should not pay, report the emails to the FBI's Internet Crime Division at IC3.gov, monitor their credit for fraud, and ignore all communication from the scammers.

A 68-year-old woman named Jean was defrauded of £169,000 over seven years by a Facebook romance scammer posing as "Maxwell Johnson," a fake US Air Force serviceman whose profile image was stolen from a real military officer. The scammer, traced to Nigeria and linked to the "Yahoo Boys" sextortion gang, manipulated Jean—a disabled pensioner who used a wheelchair—by claiming he loved her and would move to the UK to marry her, while repeatedly requesting money for flights and expenses that never materialized. Jean accumulated significant debt (£9,000 to energy companies and £8,000 to caregivers) through pension and disability benefit transfers via

Southern California residents are being targeted by a sophisticated email extortion scam that uses personal information—including names, addresses, phone numbers, and photos of homes—obtained from data breaches to threaten victims with exposure of alleged pornography browsing history, typically demanding approximately $2,000 in Bitcoin. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office warns this is a nationwide boilerplate scam perpetrated by scammers often based outside the country, who rely on creating fear and urgency rather than actual device hacking. Authorities recommend ignoring such emails, enabling two-factor authentication, monitoring accounts for suspicious activity, and reporting incidents to local law enforcement or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.