“Sextortion” attacks are on the rise globally, with hackers using victims’ addresses and photos of their homes to personalise the attacks and increase the pressure to pay, according to new research by Barracuda.
Sextortion scams are a type of blackmail where criminals attempt to extort money from victims by threatening to release explicit images or videos taken from the victim’s computer unless their demands are met.
The research found cyber criminals are now including their victims’ full names, telephone numbers and residential addresses, as well as images taken from Google Maps of their home to make the attacks more threatening and convincing. Victims are then left with a difficult conundrum – do they ignore the demands and risk potential exposure, or pay the price for peace of mind?
Furthermore, the research shows extortion demands are increasing - rising from a few hundred dollars initially, to thousands of dollars in cryptocurrency, with criminals even making it easier for victims to pay with QR codes. Australians are being warned to stay vigilant against the rising tide of sextortion scams, given the personal and monetary consequences can be devastating.
Two men in Nigeria were just recently arrested over the sextortion of an Australian teenager who took his own life after being threatened online, so it’s a critical issue for Australian police right now.