Remember when checking your email was fun, exciting, and innocent? Those days are long gone. Today, your inbox is probably full of scams, junk, and phishing emails. Some are relatively mundane. But others can be devastating to families.
We’re talking about email sextortion — a rising phenomenon that can lead to incredible financial loss and even death.
What is sextortion email and how can you stop it? We’ll walk you through the signs, the dangers, and the consequences of falling for one.
Table Of Contents
What is Email Sextortion?
First, watch the video to learn how to spot these emails using some examples:
Imagine checking your email on your phone with an alarming subject. You open it to discover a longwinded letter that claims your camera or computer has been hacked, you’ve been caught watching porn, and the hacker now has compromising photos of you.
Should I be worried about a sextortion email? That’s the first question that should pop into your mind if you receive one. But if you’re not familiar with the scam, you’re probably now in a state of panic. And the email seems convincing.
They know your name. They know your email address. And they claim to know all your friends and family. If you don’t pay them a predetermined amount of money (sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands), they’ll share the photos with everyone you know.
Anyone Can Be a Sextortion Victim
Email sextortion can affect anyone, but men are the biggest victims of the scam. While females are often convinced to share more intimate photos of themselves or risk being further shamed, men are exploited for money. Some of the most vulnerable victims are teens who just don’t want to be humiliated.
Over 25 suicides in the United States have been linked to sextortion scams. In 2022, an American teen killed himself after being blackmailed. While his scammers approached him via Instagram, email scams remain a huge danger — especially for those who are unfamiliar with how the scams work.
How to Spot a Sextortion Scam
Want to know how to tell if a sextortion email is real? While there’s no magic formula, there are a few signs you can look for.
Poor Grammar
A lot of sextortion email scams originate from overseas, including places like the Philippines. The people behind the scams usually speak English as a second language. And since the scam artists aren’t usually highly educated, their English isn’t all that great.
If the sextortion email you received feels like it was written by someone who doesn’t speak English, it’s very likely to be a scam. Unfortunately, with AI writing tools, poor grammar can be more difficult to spot.
Feels Familiar
Should I worry about a sextortion email? If you’ve received one, that’s the first question that’ll pop into your head. The good news? Google might just be able to put your mind at ease.
The email you just received was sent to thousands, tens of thousands, or millions of other people. Copy and paste the text of your email into Google and there’s a good chance you’ll come across a Reddit thread or a conversation from another forum asking if anyone received the same generic email.
Huge Sense of Urgency
“If you don’t send me $1,000 worth of Bitcoin in the next 24 hours, I will release your photographs to the masses.” While the first number that caught your eye in that sentence was probably $1,000, “24 hours” is also a big red flag.
These sextortion emails come with a huge sense of urgency to create panic. The idea is that you won’t have time to think clearly, so you’ll just fork over the cash.
Get mSpy to Detect Sextortion Emails
The worst part about email sextortion is the sense of loneliness it creates for the recipient. If you have a loved one on the receiving end of a scam, they’ll feel a huge sense of shame — especially if they believe the email to be true.
That’s why mSpy includes monitoring technology that can help identify sextortion and help you stop it before your family member becomes a victim.
- Email Monitoring. You already know how to tell if a sextortion email is real. But did you know there’s a way to read their emails and spot those sextortion emails before it’s too late? With mSpy, you’ll have access to their inbox. If you spot something concerning, you can step in to help.
- Keyword Alerts. mSpy can let you know if it spots specific words in their communications. For example, if they Google the word “sextortion” or something even more alarming like “suicide”, mSpy can let you know so you can take action.
- Social Media Monitoring. Did you know that email sextortion can move from their inbox to WhatsApp or other social media platforms? With mSpy, you’ll have access to their private chats. If something looks fishy, you can put a stop to it.
Talk to Your Family About Email Sextortion
Email sextortion is incredibly scary. And it could lead to dire consequences for the victim and their family. It’s important to talk to your family about the dangers of the Internet and the prevalence of the horrible scam.
Your family members (especially kids) might not be aware of sextortion email scams. Talk to them. It’s an uncomfortable subject to broach, but not talking to them can be devastating if things go south.
