Blackmailers threaten to publish compromising pictures. The blackmailing comes unexpectedly. Extortionists and victims never had any previous contact.
Fake sextortion emails are currently a widespread method of attack. The perpetrators claim in an email that they have collected photo or video material which is supposed to shows the victim during an alleged visit to pornographic websites. The blackmailers threaten to publish the photo or video material if the ransom demanded is not paid within a certain period of time. The blackmailers try their luck and send such emails randomly in the hope that the recipients include people who recently visited pornographic websites. The criminals' threats are designed to intimidate the recipients and persuade them to pay the ransom.
