Beware of blackmailers!
Police warn of sex traps and fake emails
Hacked, filmed, blackmailed: The well-known scam involving a fake hacker attack on a webcam seems to be back in fashion. The police assume that the number of unreported cases is high and give tips on how to protect yourself.
The trend of "blackmail on the Internet" appears to be continuing. "We receive almost daily reports from victims who are being blackmailed or attempted to be blackmailed by criminals on the internet", say the Tyrolean police. This often results in financial losses, but the psyche of those affected is also often affected. "The number of unreported cases is likely to be high because those affected often do not go to the police out of shame," the investigators believe. There are different methods used by the perpetrators.
"Sex blackmail" - shame as a means of exerting pressure
The victims receive an invitation or friend request from an attractive person they don't know via social networks or dating platforms. After an introductory phase, the victim is asked to switch to a video chat and show themselves naked, pose suggestively or masturbate. In order to appear credible, the other person sometimes makes the first move by showing themselves naked or starting to masturbate in front of the target. "The perpetrators record their counterpart and then threaten to publish videos or nude photos on social networks or to send them to the victim's family or friends. The perpetrators use the victim's fear and shame as leverage," says Hans-Peter Seewald, Head of Crime Prevention at the LKA in Tyrol.
Watch out for the following alarm signals:
- Strangers, mainly attractive people, contact you. There is usually little personal information on suspicious profiles, but lots of provocative photos.
- New online acquaintances want to quickly switch to a video chat.
- In video chat, the other person starts to undress after a short time. Never follow requests to show yourself naked.
- Important: Cover your webcam as long as you do not trust the other person. Remember that everything you do in front of the webcam can be recorded by the other person.
If you have fallen into the trap:
- Break off contact with the blackmailers and block them. Report the fake accounts to the site operators.
- Do not respond to the demands and do not transfer any money. Paying does not protect you from publication; the perpetrators often demand even more money after the first transfer.
- Save relevant evidence: screenshots of the account, the chat log, e-mail correspondence.
- File a report with the nearest police station. This is the only way to prosecute the blackmailers.
- If photos or videos have already been published, arrange for them to be deleted via the respective platform (there is an obligation to delete for several platforms under the KoPl-G).
Fake emails from authorities
Extortionate emails with attachments that appear to come from authorities or police departments are another method that is becoming increasingly common. These letters claim that the recipients have allegedly committed a crime and should write an email to a specified email address to justify themselves. If this bait is taken, the fake "office" demands a "penalty payment" to settle the matter.
The documents are often very authentically designed and contain real logos - e.g. from EUROPOL, INTERPOL, BUNDESKRIMINALAMT or JUSSTIZ - and real names of police officers. The general, impersonal form of address and the mention of crimes that may never have been committed should set alarm bells ringing. Genuine authorities never send requests for payment by e-mail.
The police recommend:
- Delete these emails, do not respond to any demands under any circumstances.
- Do not open any links or attachments from unknown senders.
- Do not follow any requests for payment.
- File a report with the police if you have paid money or provided personal data.
Protect children's privacy online
Children and young people often feel anonymous and safe in chat rooms on the Internet and carelessly disclose private information. This puts them at risk of insults, bullying, blackmail or sexual abuse.
Tips for parents:
- Supervise your children's online use (PC, tablet, smartphone, computer games)
- Talk to them about the basic rules of online behavior, top priority: Protect privacy! - What is privacy?
- Educate your children about the dangers of sharing personal information, intimate photos or videos with unknown chat partners
Tips for children and young people:
- Be aware that a counterpart in online chat is often not who they say they are
- Do not share any personal information, passwords, intimate photos or videos. Especially not if you don't know the other person personally
- Use secure passwords consisting of at least 15 characters - upper and lower case letters, special characters, numbers and not to be found in any dictionary
- Deactivate or cover the webcam in video chats with unknown chat partners
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