Sextortion and Bitcoin Blackmail Emails: What to Do

How sextortion and Bitcoin blackmail emails work

Mass emails claim the sender hacked your device and recorded you, and demand Bitcoin within hours. They may include an old password from a data breach to seem real, but usually they have nothing. A more serious form of sextortion happens when someone, often posing as a romantic interest, gets real images and then threatens to share them unless paid, frequently targeting teens. Payments are often demanded in crypto or gift cards, and paying tends to lead to more demands.

Warning signs of a sextortion scam

An email saying you were recorded through your webcam visiting adult sites.
The message includes an old password or your email address as the 'proof'.
A tight deadline and a Bitcoin address for payment.
A new online contact quickly asks for explicit photos or video chat.
Threats to send images to your family, friends, school, or employer.
Demands for payment in crypto, gift cards, or payment apps.

How to protect yourself from sextortion

Do not pay or reply to blackmail emails.
Change any password mentioned in the email and stop reusing it.
Turn on two-factor authentication for email and social accounts.
Be cautious with anyone online who asks for intimate images, and talk with teens about this scam.
Keep social media accounts private to limit what strangers can use.

Received a blackmail email or already paid? What to do now

Stop responding and do not pay; payment rarely ends the threats.
Preserve evidence before anything disappears: screenshots of chats, profiles, websites and app screens, plus receipts, emails, and a written timeline. Do not delete conversations or the app. Keep the messages, usernames, and payment addresses. Do not delete the account yet.
Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov or a local FBI field office, and to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
If a minor is involved, contact the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and report the account to the platform.
If you already paid in crypto, contact the exchange you used. See /guidance/report-crypto-theft-fbi-ic3.
Watch for recovery scams. Anyone who contacts you offering to get your crypto back for an upfront fee, or who claims to work with the FBI or IC3, is likely a scammer. IC3 says it will never ask for payment to recover lost funds or refer you to a company that does. See /guidance/can-stolen-crypto-be-traced.

Sextortion emails: common questions

The email includes one of my real passwords. Was I hacked?

Usually not. The password is typically an old one leaked in a data breach, used to make the threat look real. The sender usually has nothing. Change that password wherever you use it, stop reusing it, and turn on two-factor authentication.

The email appears to come from my own email address. Does that mean they’re in my account?

Not necessarily. The “from” address on an email can be faked. Still, change your email password and turn on two-factor authentication to be safe.

Should I pay to make it stop?

No. Don’t pay and don’t reply. Paying rarely ends the threats and often leads to more demands. Keep the email and the Bitcoin address, and report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.

Someone has real images of my child and is demanding money. What do I do?

Don’t pay. Keep the messages and usernames, and don’t delete the account yet. Contact the FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and report the account to the platform.

Sextortion statistics

IC3 received 23,797 extortion complaints with a cryptocurrency connection in 2025, the second-highest count among crypto-related crime types, with $63,195,612 in reported losses. (source)
IC3 received more than 75,000 submissions about sextortion in 2025. (source)

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This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. ChainWatch is not a law firm and does not guarantee fund recovery.

Sources

The information on this page was checked against the sources listed in September 2026. Laws, agency guidance, company policies and contact details change, so please verify the current information with the original source before you act.