Sextortion Email Script
An email claims the sender has recorded you via your webcam and threatens to send the footage to your contacts unless you pay in cryptocurrency.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Sanitized example messages
Illustrative, sanitized examples. Personal details are replaced with placeholders such as [phone number] and [fake link].
I have full access to your device and have been monitoring you. I recorded footage via your camera while you visited adult sites.
Your contact list is ready. If you don't send [amount] in Bitcoin to [wallet address] within 48 hours, everyone will see the video.
To prove access, your password is [old leaked password]. Don't try to change it — I have full control.
Delete this email and I release it to your contacts. Pay and it disappears. The choice is yours.
What the scammer wants
To use fear and shame to make you pay quickly without stopping to think. The password shown is typically from a historical data breach, not live device access — no recording exists in the vast majority of cases.
Red flags in the message
- Email opens with a real old password — sourced from a data breach, not your device
- Claim of webcam recording with no actual evidence provided
- Demand for cryptocurrency payment to a wallet address
- Short deadline to prevent you pausing and thinking
- Shame and isolation tactic — 'don't tell anyone'
- Mass-sent template with minor personalisation
- No actual screenshot or clip provided as proof
A safe response
Do not pay. This type of email is sent en masse using old breach data. Cover your webcam if it makes you feel better, change the exposed password, and mark the email as spam. Paying does not guarantee any outcome.
What not to send
- Cryptocurrency payments
- Any reply to the sender
- Personal information
What to do if you already replied
- If you paid, document the wallet address and report it to your national cybercrime authority
- Change the password that appeared in the email and any account using the same password
- Enable two-factor authentication on key accounts
- Contact a support line if you are feeling distressed — you are not alone
- Report the email to your email provider
Evidence to preserve
- Screenshot the full message or call details
- Note the sender number, email, or profile
- Save any links (without clicking) and payment details
- Record dates and times