PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is warning the public about a trending sextortion cyber fraud scam in which criminals threaten to post explicit photos and videos of victims, their internet browsing history, or some type of blackmail in exchange for payment.
The conversation can happen over email — sometimes with an image of the victim’s home or street attached. However, these photos can easily be found on Google Maps, and while some scammers do possess a victim’s explicit materials, most are lying, said Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry.
Still, she said people must be vigilant about what is shared on social media, texts and emails. Do not communicate with anyone making the threats, officials advised, and if you are speaking with someone online, do some research about them first.
Scammers sometimes direct their victims to pay via Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, or send them to a QR code. As with any suspicious messages or contacts received, do not open attachments or links, and don’t answer phone calls from someone you don’t know.
These types of cyber crimes can be reported to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting ic3.gov.
For more information about sextortion crimes and reporting them, visit attorneygeneral.gov.