How To Report Fraud
Fraudulent or suspicious activity can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, through its website at www.antifraudcentre.ca, or by telephone at 1-888-495-8501.
Report instances of misleading or deceptive marketing practices to the Competition Bureau using the online complaint form or by telephone at 1-800-348-5358. If you are a victim of fraud, let your local police force know.
If you decide to file a complaint, it is important that you keep any evidence you may have related to your complaint. Evidence may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- cancelled cheques
- certified or other mail receipts
- chatroom or newsgroup text
- printed or electronic copies of emails
- printed or electronic copies of web pages
- wire receipts
- notes taken as events take place
Keep evidence items in a safe location in the event that you are requested to provide them. This information may form an important part of any investigation. The information you provide could be used as evidence during a prosecution.
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How To Spot A Phishing Email
Here are some of the most common types of phishing scams:
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Emails that promise a reward. Click on this link to get your tax refund!
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A document that appears to come from a friend, bank, or other reputable organizations. The message is something like Your document is hosted by an online storage provider and you need to enter your email address and password to open it.
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An invoice from an online retailer or supplier for purchase or order that you did not make. The attachment appears to be a protected or locked document, and you need to enter your email address and password to open it.
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If you think someone has accessed your Outlook.com account, or you received a confirmation email for a password change you didnt authorize, read My Outlook.com account has been hacked.
Most Effective Places To Report Sextortion
There are several law enforcement and investigative agencies where you can make a report of online harassment, including sextortion. The top agencies where sextortion victims in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia can file reports include:
- FBI Internet Crimes Complaint Center
If the email is not from a generic domain like the ones listed above, you can try reporting it to the domain host where the emails domain is registered. For instance, if the email comes from johndoe@johndoe.com, you can go to ICANN Lookup and type in the domain to find out where johndoe.com originated.
Scroll down to Registrar Information, which will usually list the domain host. From there, you can contact the domain host and report the suspicious activity coming from that domain.
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When To Seek Legal Aid Assistance With Sextortion
In most sextortion matters, you should reach out to an internet attorney immediately following a threat of exposure or request for money. Do not wait until it is too late, or after you have spent hundreds of dollars on meeting the criminals demands.
Many law enforcement agencies are open at all hours of the day or nightand Minc Law also offers after-hours consultations for emergencies just like yours.
Install Updates To Your Computer Make Backups
- Install the latest updates to your computer. Update your operating system, usually Windows, macOS, iOS or Android.
- Keep your anti-virus program up-to-date. There is a variety of good, free anti-virus programs available for download. Also ask if an anti-virus program is available from your employer.
- Keep backups of files you do not want to lose, such, as photos and important documents. Back them up to a cloud service or an external hard disk.
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Internet Blackmail Skype Scam
If youve ever video chatted or voice called a friend or family member, theres a good chance youve heard of Skype one of the most popular telecommunication applications available. Unsurprisingly, Internet blackmailers and sextortion scammers flock to where large numbers of users exist. Furthermore, the use of video calling on Skype exponentially opens the doors for online blackmailers, sextortioners, and harassers.
One of the most common Internet blackmail schemes involves a Skype friend or chat request from a complete stranger. Typically, the user sending the request is an attractive member of the opposite sex. After engaging in short chit-chat, the blackmailer is quick to jump into a video-call, which inevitably turns sexual and fast.
After engaging in sexual acts or conversation on video, the sextortioner or online blackmailer will then threaten to distribute recorded clips of the encounter to friends, family, or colleagues unless a ransom is paid.
At Minc Law, we strongly recommend conducting an extensive reverse image search of a strangers profile picture before engaging with them. Oftentimes, the perpetrator is using a stolen photograph of a model or other individual. We also recommend against sending explicit sexual images of oneself to a complete stranger or engaging in sexual acts on camera.
Fake Emails Often Display Some Of The Following Characteristics:
- The senders email address doesnt tally with the trusted organisations website address.
- The email is sent from a completely different address or a free web mail address.
- The email does not use your proper name, but uses a non-specific greeting like dear customer.
- A sense of urgency for example the threat that unless you act immediately your account may be closed.
- A prominent website link. These can be forged or seem very similar to the proper address, but even a single characters difference means a different website.
- A request for personal information such as user name, password or bank details.
- The email contains spelling and grammatical errors.
- You weren’t expecting to get an email from the company that appears to have sent it.
- The entire text of the email is contained within an image rather than the usual text format.
- The image contains an embedded hyperlink to a bogus site.
If you think you may have been the victim of fraud or cybercrime and incurred a financial loss or have been hacked as a result of responding to a phishing message, you should report this to Action Fraud
Have you spotted a suspicious email?
If you have received an email which youre not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service :
The message might be from a company you dont normally receive communications from, or someone you do not know. You may just have a hunch. If you are suspicious, you should report it.
Action fraud
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What Should You Do If Someone Is Blackmailing You With Pictures
If you are receiving threatening communications from a sextortionist, try not to panic. Use the following steps to deal with the internet sextortion as quickly as possible.
1. Stay Calm
Being attacked and sextorted online can be a nerve-racking experience. It may seem as though you are trapped and condemned to comply with your extortionists horrible demandsbut take a deep breath, step back, and look at the big picture from a different perspective.
More often than not, when an online sextortionist first realizes that you may not comply with their demands, they will respond with aggression and unreasonable threats.
While an extortionist may threaten to expose or embarrass you by releasing sensitive information, they are also aware that if they do follow through with their threats, they will probably lose the opportunity to continue extorting you. in the video below, we walk you through the likelihood that a sextortionist will act on their threats.
Video: What Are the Chances a Sextortionist Releases My Intimate Images & Videos?
Keeping this awareness in mind when reacting to their threats is essential to putting an end to their extortion effectively.
2. Document and Preserve All Evidence
3. Do NOT Try to Mitigate the Damage
This is almost always a mistake. Do not assume that your online extortionist will follow through with their threats.
4. Do Not Give in to Their Demands
Rcmp Warn Of Email Blackmail Scam
A new email scam in which fraudsters ask for Bitcoin in exchange for keeping quiet about the victims alleged viewing of pornography online, is making the rounds, say Sidney-North Saanich RCMP.
Police departments across the province have been receiving reports from people receiving an email from a scammer stating they have proof the victim has been viewing pornography online.
In many cases, the fraudster includes the persons correct email password, which, police say, is an alarming detail of the scam.
The fraudster threatens to email the proof to all of the contacts in the victims email account unless the victim pays a sum in Bitcoin.
Police recommend that anyone who receives the email ignore it, change your password immediately and not pay any ransom in Bitcoin or any other form of payment.
Sidney-North Saanich RCMP are suggesting people use unique and secure passwords for all of their accounts and change their passwords on a regular basis. If there is an attachment included with the email scam, do not open it, as this is a method used by hackers to install malware on computers.
If you have been contacted, you are urged to get in touch with the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP detachment at 250-656-3931.
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Online Marketplace Purchase Scams
Online transactions, whether you are the buyer or the seller, require caution to make sure you avoid scams. This is particularly true if you are engaging in a person-to-person transaction, perhaps through Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or eBay rather than purchasing through an online store.
When you are buying items advertised online, make sure that the seller actually has possession of the goods being sold, and hasnt just copied photos someone else has posted online. If possible, view the product in-person before purchasing, but take appropriate safety precautions including meeting in a safe, well populated place and bringing a friend.
If you must purchase an item without viewing the item in person, take additional precautions:
Email Blackmail Is A Form Of Harassment
Email blackmail is illegal and recognized as a form of cyber harassment. If you need help with taking action against your blackmailer, DoNotPay can step in.
Follow these steps:
When we have all the required information, we will contact the senders email service provider. On your behalf, we will:
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Common Techniques Used By Fraudsters
- Rush deals â you are told you have a limited amount of time to take part or you will lose the deal, pressuring you to act now.
- Scare tactics â you are told a negative result or penalty will be imposed if you dont act quickly.
- Secrecy â you are told the deal is extremely special and you are one of the select few invited to participate but dont tell anyone.
- Payment â is requested in the form of gift cards, prepaid credit cards, wire transfers or crypto currency such as Bitcoin.
Internet Blackmail Bitcoin Scam
With Bitcoins recent bull market run, cryptocurrencies and blockchain-related services are becoming more mainstream. Inevitably, Bitcoin internet blackmail scams are on the rise. One common Internet blackmail scam which is on the rise is the Bitcoin email blackmail scam.
Simply put, the Internet blackmail Bitcoin scam involves a threatening email . The email generally alleges there has been a large-scale data breach, and that highly sensitive personal information or imagery was acquired by the sender. In exchange for keeping the highly private information, photographs, or videos under wraps, the sender demands a payment in Bitcoin.
This script is usually sent to thousands of people, preying on the naivety of senior citizens and other highly susceptible persons. Any demand that you pay in Bitcoin is a dead giveaway that you are dealing with a scam. Additionally, the language used is typically rife with spelling and grammar errors, as it is sent from overseas blackmailers and scammers.
If you are worried about whether your data and personal information has been compromised, we recommend checking out haveIbeenpwned.com and entering your email address. To read up further on how to avoid the Bitcoin blackmail scam, we also recommend checking out this FTC.gov article.
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Reporting Blackmail Emails To Police
/07/18 · Step 2: Report Internet Blackmail to the Police Since internet blackmail can sometimes be followed up with actual physical violence and threats, its important to file an in-person report at your local police station. /01/17 · Scam reporting In the UK, you can use Action Frauds website to report a phishing attempt if you have NOT lost any money or exposed your personal ted Reading Time: 6 mins.
/04/23 · As the email is an attempt at fraud, you can report it to Action Fraud at or by calling If you are in Scotland, call Police Scotland on Actual email text (Actual recipient password.
Do consider getting support: You can contact your local Police force to report what has happened to you. This is particularly important if you are struggling to cope with the issue. If you are under 18 consider speaking to aEstimated Reading Time: 4 mins.
You can help disrupt fraudsters by reporting scam emails to us. It shouldnt take you any longer than 2 minutes to make a report and we do not collect any of your personal information.
You should only use this tool to report phishing campaigns where you have. /07/23 · If you or someone you know has been a victim of blackmail you can contact Victim Support 24/7 on 16 89 Neil Masters, who is the charitys National Lead Author: Tanveer Mann. /03/11 · If you would like to report the blackmail email, you can do that on the Federal Trade Commissions website .Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins.
What Should You Expect From A Legal Professional Helping You With Sextortion
When you consult with an experienced internet attorney at Minc Law, expect to begin with a discreet discussion of your goals, legal options, and strategy. You should also anticipate a breakdown of the costs you can expect, along with an explanation of how you will be billedalong with any up-front costs.
Many attorneys simply provide generic legal information during an introductory meeting. At Minc Law, however, we prefer to use our consultations as in-depth strategy sessions. Our attorneys primary goals are to assess your cases potential and develop an effective legal strategy going forward.
Once you have retained a legal professional to help you with your sextortion case, your extortion lawyer will be able to advise you on the best course of action going forward. If your case involves overseas perpetrators or complicated relationships, for instance, a law firm with experience handling sextortion and reputation management will be able to devise an in-depth and comprehensive legal strategy.
Minc Law Consultation Tip: Our firm offers emergency consultation appointments for sextortion, extortion, and blackmail casessince these situations are often extremely time-sensitive and need to be resolved as quickly as possible. You can read up further about emergency consults at Minc Law by checking out our article Thinking about Contacting Minc Law? Heres What to Expect.
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How To Report Sextortion
Has a stranger on the internet threatened to publish explicit images or other content about you unless you meet their demands? This alarming behavior is a type of extortion known as internet sextortionand if it has happened to you, your first concern is probably with how to report it.
Follow these tips to report sextortion:
At Minc Law, we have helped thousands of clients stop sensitive media and information from being publicized, put an end to sextortionate threats, identify anonymous internet sextortionists, and cooperate with local law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable for their behavior, all while preventing these delicate situations from drawing unwanted attention to the case.
The following article provides a list of resources for reporting internet sextortion and finding support in your situation, along with tips for dealing with sextortion in the most effective and painless way possible.
Assassination Text And Email Threats
This is the most frequent form of email extortion.
These email threats usually involve a supposed hitman who offers to let you off the hook, and even tells you who commissioned the hit — for a big fee, usually between $10,000 and $20,000 but sometimes up to $150,000.
We’ve written about this crime before in our article, Hitman Emails: Scams or Urban Legends?
It’s still going on, with scammers able to make their claims much more convincing by pretending they have you under surveillance.
If they’ve been able to get hold of your address, for instance, they’ll download an aerial or street-level photo from the Internet and send it to you.
And, as we’ve reported in previous issues, it’s quite easy to get an awful lot more info online about someone these days so the threat looks real.
Most recently, cell phone text messages and instant messaging programs have been used for the assassination email threat.
Action: The usual giveaway is poor English usage — these things come from Nigeria and Eastern Europe — and a demand that the money is sent via an untraceable cash wiring service.
As far as we know, there’s never been a single instance of these email threats being real but you should still take it seriously and report it to the police.
Don’t reply to an email threat or ask the crook to desist don’t tell them you reported them to the police all that just plays into their hands.
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