The Surprising Way The Sextortion Scam Really Works

Like all everyone else, we are inundated with scammers trying to take advantage of us, most of which blow off. However, there is one scam that is so dastardly as to cause rational well adjusted people to commit suicide. Sextortion is the worst or worst scams.

Sextortion happens when someone tricks you into taking embarrassing photos or videos of yourself. They then threaten to share these with your friends, family, and people you work with unless you pay them a lot of money. Of course, even if you do pay, the extortion does not end.

Watch this fascinating 6 minute video (edited down from a 40 minute documentary) and tell your friends about it.

If you’re like us, and the reporter in the video above, you believed that sextortion was a one-on-one scam. Meaning that the victim is being victimized by one scammer. But as we found out in this short video, like nearly all internet scams, sextortion is now a multi-billion dollar business in which the perpetrators work in teams to inflict maximum pain and extract maximum cash.

If you have been the victim of any scam, read our short “8 Things To Do After You Have Been Scammed” article posted on our sister tech site, URTech.ca .

Video Transcript:

US Senator:
“9 months ago I lost my teenage sone to suicide”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
Jake was at home he received a private message on Facebook. The message was from a beautiful young woman, sweet and flirtatious, but the conversation quickly took a turn.

Sextortion Victims Mother:
“This is his cell phone”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“Do you mind if I take a look at it?”

It says, “go face a big mirror and take a full nude photo of you or video. If you can’t do that then we can’t play.”

“He asks ‘How do I know I can trust you you”

“You and me are just going to play and have fun no need for trust issues”

Sextortion Victims Mother:
“…and then he does take it at what point”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“…and immediately it was within seconds the start.”

“So just got it and save all your Facebook friends on my laptop I am going to send them your nude photo and post it all for your friends Facebook timeline and also to your job but I will not do that if you can send me money right now ok”

Jake has become a victim of sextortion, a black male scam in which the criminal pores is someone into sharing sexual pictures or videos and then threatens to release them if they are not paid.

The person chanting you take gives him instructions for making an in person wire transfer. Only then will they delete the photo he sent.

“…and they’re pressuring him and pressuring him very by now don’t take don’t make me wait any longer or else”

Sextortion Victims Mother:
“They hounded him every step of the way”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“My God”

Sextortion Victims Mother:
“So he didn’t have time to think of through, you know”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
Yeah and then he sounds a photo of the money right. Now he’s asking can you please delete it “I am a college student I don’t have that much right now I can’t live the next two weeks with you blackmailing me. You are ruining my life. Please.”

“You are my slave now”

Jake’s blackmailer continues to taunt and pressure him and after dozens of messages back and forth Jake reaches a braking point.

“I have decided that gives a picture post then I will end my life so I don’t have to go through the pain and embarrassment as I lose my job, my education, and my family. I hope when you find out that I’m serious that you will feel guilt”

Sextortion Victims Mother:
So the next day he ended up getting a shotgun he took his life. So this happened from Sunday until Friday.

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
Because of the intimacy of the crime I had always imagined that sextortion scammers work one on one with their victims but Claudia is describing any highly organized operation set up like a legal call center. A sea of cubicles staffed with employees whose soul purpose is to scam and extort money from foreigners.

How did the structure of the group work.

Former Sextortionist 1:
“Its like we have teams. There are roles like the manager and supervisor.

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
So there is a supervisor basically walking and making sure that you’re doing your job.

Former Sextortionist 1:
“Like and office, yes.”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
Claudia was assigned the room of a ‘chatter’; the person who sends messages to the victim reports their interactions.

She worked on Facebook and Instagram, but chatters have also been known to use encrypted messaging apps and dating platforms like Tinder and Bubble.

“After you got them to do the video somebody else would start the blackmailing and somebody else would get the money”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“My friend and I scamming other people in other country”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“Like which countries”

Former Sextortionist 2:
US, Canada, Australia

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“We spent time in the United States with families who asked their sons because they committed suicide because of sextortion.”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Really”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“You never heard of this? No-one ever said ‘I;m going to kill myself if you keep asking me for money… blackmailing me?'”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Yes”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“They died?”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Yes”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“How did you find out he killed himself?”

Former Sextortionist 2:
Because the camera on his laptop was on.

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“ohh that’s horrible. And you saw it happen?”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Yes”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“What did you say? Did you ask him to stop?”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“We chatted him, but he setup a rope and committed suicide”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“That is horrible! How much money were you trying to get from him?”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Only 1000 dollars. But I think the value of money is not the reason he killed himself”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“So why do you think he committed suicide?”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Their dignity… because of these videos… they got to him… I think he was scared… very scared, because at the time he was crying and saying please stop, please stop’

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“If he was begging you to stop, why did you not stop?

Former Sextortionist 2:
“Because he didn’t send money. We said ‘Just do it. We don’t care.'”

Mariana van Zeller Interviewer:
“No you did not… so you said you said just do it I don’t care. We spent time with mothers of kids who comitted suicide and seeing their pain and seeing them cry, sory I’m going to get emotional but it’s it’s very very hard to know that this is happening, and to now be with you here and seeing somebody who in many way is was responsible for somebody for somebody’s death. Right? Do you know that he committed suicide because of what you did to him”

Former Sextortionist 2:
“I think I am responsible for him in this scenario. I do feel bad about it. I feel remorse.”

Sextortion Victims Mother:
“So the next day he ended up getting a shotgun he took his life. So this happened from Sunday until Friday.”