HARRISBURG, Pa. — Attorney General Michelle Henry is alerting Pennsylvania residents about a trending cyber crime involving sextortion, where cyber criminals threaten to release alleged explicit materials of their targets unless a payment is made. The scam often includes alarming emails featuring images of a target’s home or street, likely sourced from Google Maps, to intensify the threat.
These criminals claim to possess explicit photos, videos, or personal browsing history, but in most cases, they do not. They typically demand payment through cryptocurrency, providing a QR code or link to their Bitcoin account for the transfer.
“Do not scan the QR code, click any links, or communicate with these criminals,” Attorney General Henry urged. She emphasized that individuals receiving these threats should take them seriously but avoid complying with the extortion demands.
To help Pennsylvanians protect themselves from sextortion scams, the Office of the Attorney General offered the following safety tips:
- Avoid sending explicit images to anyone, regardless of who they claim to be.
- Search suspicious email text online to verify if it’s part of a known scam.
- Do not open email attachments or click on links from unknown sources.
- Use two-factor authentication and change passwords frequently.
- Never send money or gift cards in response to these threats.
- Report any incidents to law enforcement or the FBI.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of sextortion should report the crime immediately. The FBI can be contacted at 1-800-CALL-FBI or via their website, ic3.gov. Additionally, complaints can be submitted to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection by emailing scams@attorneygeneral.gov or calling 1-800-441-255.
