Scam

 

Warning: FBI says sextortion scammers are using this scary new tactic

Of all the scams floating around on the web, sextortion scams are some of the scariest to deal with. When a hacker claims to have intimate photos of you and threatens to post them online, it feels like a total violation of your rights. Thankfully, for the most part, these scams are nothing but bluster.

Until recently, scammers would only claim that they had recordings of their victims without offering proof to back it up. But as times change, so do hackers and their tactics. Tap or click here to see a malware that actually does what sextortion scammers claim to do.

And now, two new types of sextortion scams are starting to spread — and the FBI is putting everyone on alert. Sextortion scammers are now targeting teens for intimate photos and making threats to spread them if their demands aren’t met. Others are sending photos to victims before switching to pretending to be family members of the person in the photo. Here’s what we know.

Sextortion scams are back with a vengeance

It’s already difficult for teens online, but a predatory new form of sextortion targeting teens is bad enough to make the FBI concerned. The Bureau has put out a notice warning about a sextortion incident in Arizona that appears to be spreading throughout the state and beyond — and if teens aren’t careful, their privacy may be in grave danger.