![]() He or she then uses these videos to blackmail the victim.Īnother common attack is a “threat of action,” which is a form of corporate extortion. In a variation on this attack, instead of searching for preexisting files a blackmailer may simply take control of the victim’s webcam and record compromising videos. Often, hackers demand sexually compromising photography or videos. ![]() The attacker then looks for compromising information about the victim and uses it to control the victim’s behavior. Demanding that someone take nude photos to avoid having compromising information released online is an example of Internet blackmail.Īs with ransomware, a lot of online blackmail starts with a hacker taking control of the victim’s computer. The hacker then locks out the user or threatens to delete all information on the computer unless a ransom is paid.īlackmail is the use of threat to force or prevent someone from doing something. Once a victim clicks the links in these emails, a virus is installed on the computer. These are misleading emails, disguised as security alerts or other urgent correspondence. Often, attackers will take control of a user’s computer by sending phishing emails. Ransomware is a common example of online extortion, in which the victim’s computer is locked down until a ransom is paid. Extortion is the use of threat to get something out of the target, either property, money, or some service. In the South Africa, extortion and blackmail are different crimes, although they are closely related. Has your personal information been exposed online? In fact, there may also be additional laws that provide further recourse to victims, as explained in our article on Internet blackmail laws. That said, there has been a fair amount of confusion about whether or not online blackmail is covered by the same laws and protections as its offline equivalent. Of course, for blackmail to rise to the level of a felony, it needs to be a somewhat serious offense: a parent threatening to take away television-watching privileges from a child until his or her room is cleaned clearly doesn’t count as criminal blackmail. The specifics of how the crimes are defined varies from country to country, but coercion-related crimes are almost always illegal. You may also want to explore our other articles on this topic:Ĭategories of blackmail and related crimesīlackmail, extortion and several other related crimes fall under the general category of coercion, in which when someone is forced to do or not do something. To protect yourself, you first need to know what kinds of blackmail happen on the Internet. Even still, there may be perfectly legal but embarrassing information in your life that you’d like to keep hidden: private photos, personal discussions, or business secrets-these are often what Internet blackmail targets. ![]() Many people will state that they have “nothing to hide,” and it’s true that few of us are engaged in any seriously illegal activity. One of the most challenging problems on the Internet is the fact that it has made our secrets, whether personal or professional, much easier to access. The different types of Internet blackmail
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