Extortion Scams

How the Scam Works

Scammers pretend to have unflattering information about you and threaten to publicize this information unless you meet their financial demands. It is not common that a scammer actually has sensitive information to share about you, but if you have reason to believe they do (for instance, they are threatening many times with specific information), then you need to contact the Notre Dame Help Desk and the police. Extortion is a crime and should be treated as such.

How to Beat the Scam

These individuals often know nothing about you except your email address to contact you. It can feel scary when this happens, but it is important to slow down, take a deep breath, and consider that chances are they do not have the information they are threatening to release.

Actual extortion where someone is legit hacked takes effort so the initial email can be deleted. Cybercriminals will threaten many times if they actually have something. If you believe threats being made are legitimate, again, contact the Notre Dame Help Desk and the police.

A+ Tips

• Do not try to reason with these scammers, they will bluff and reassure you that they have information, even when they do not.

• Scams like this serve as a reminder of the dangers the internet possesses, make sure to be smart with the websites you visit and the information you share online.