By doing this, you alert the website or service to scams they may not have been aware of and can even get the hackers blocked or banned (though if they’re using multiple accounts, this might not keep them away for long). Contact the platform on which the extortion takes place.Many law enforcement organizations have specialized officers and units to deal with issues around cybercrime and extortion.
VICTIM OF EXTORTION HOW TO
While the authorities may not be able to find and charge the person behind the extortion - perpetrators often target people in other countries - they can advise you on how to proceed. You can report cyber extortion in two ways: When cyber extortion occurs, it is vital that you report it because doing so can help you stay safe and lowers the likelihood of other people being targeted in the same way. They may claim to have more leverage than they do, but the fear of exposure or public embarrassment can be enough to ensure that the victim pays the requested fee. Cyber blackmailĪ cyber extortionist may target a victim with blackmail, threatening to leak personal data or even compromising images unless they pay up. They take on this persona to lull the target into a false sense of security before trying to convince them to transfer money (perhaps pretending to be a friend in need) or expose private information (login details for a banking app, for example). Email-based extortionĮmail-based cyber extortion is common and usually sees the hacker pretending to be someone else: a business, for example, or a friend of the target. The cyber extortionist then offers to call off the attack if they are paid a requested amount. For example, they could use bots to overwhelm a website’s servers, ensuring that it cannot display pages for genuine visitors. These attacks usually involve hackers flooding the target with an artificially inflated volume of traffic. DDoS attacksĭistributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks are used to make websites, apps, and other online services inaccessible to their intended users.
VICTIM OF EXTORTION DRIVERS
In 2021, the company operating the Colonial Pipeline in the US was hit by a ransomware attack, which caused drivers to panic-buy gasoline and drove the cost of gas up considerably.
If they fail to pay, the hacker might leak the stolen data on the dark web.Įven if they manage to regain access to their data, a ransomware attack can cause immense disruption and reputation damage. The hackers then demand a ransom in return for a digital key that will allow the person or company to decrypt their files. A ransomware attack involves infecting a device with a type of malware that encrypts data, making it impossible for the device owner to access essential files and resources. Hackers often target businesses and government agencies with ransomware. Here are just a few of the most common types of online extortion. Alternatively, they could use ransomware to make a company’s files inaccessible and return them only if a fee is paid.Ī cyber extortion attack can come in many forms. The hackers could threaten to leak a victim’s personal photos or private information if they don’t pay a certain amount of money. They then give the victim an ultimatum: pay up, or suffer the consequences. If a cyber extortionist favors a more direct route, they can cause, or threaten to cause, intense distress and disruption for the person being targeted. Common examples of this technique include phishing emails and romance scams. Hackers can pretend to be someone else - a friend, a romantic partner, or even a business like a bank or online retailer - and try to convince a victim to do what they want. The subtler of the two tactics involves tricking people into giving away sensitive information or handing over money directly. Cyber extortionists have two general methods for getting what they want (which is, in most cases, money).
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