Scam type 10/15

Sextortion email with your old password? Why you don't need to pay

An email claiming to have filmed you through your webcam and demanding Bitcoin? In 99% of cases it's a bluff. Here's how to confirm that and stop escalation.

Stats and sources

Updated: May 2026

What the numbers show

No guesses. Only published data from Fraudehelpdesk (the Dutch fraud helpline), CBS (Statistics Netherlands), AFM, SIDN and Dutch investigative journalism.

Sextortion is consistently a top category at meld.nl and the police; most emails come from large-scale spam campaigns.

In almost all cases there is no actual webcam recording — the claim is a bluff based on a data breach.

In parallel there is a serious separate form: real sextortion of young people via Snapchat/Instagram (mostly boys, often via fake-girl profiles).

Modus operandi

How does this scam actually work in practice?

Step by step: this is how scammers build the scenario. The faster you spot the pattern, the sooner you can hang up or click away.

01
A mass email claims your computer is hacked and you were filmed through your webcam while watching porn.
02
To look credible, an old password from a data breach is quoted (often LinkedIn 2012 or Adobe 2013).
03
Payment demand in Bitcoin/USDT/Monero, usually €500-€2,000, within 24-48 hours.
04
The targeted variant (mostly via Instagram/Snapchat) starts with contact from an attractive profile, a nude photo is exchanged, then you're blackmailed with publication to your family.
05
When minors are involved this is a criminal offence and an international issue (Sextortion of Children).

Red flags

How do you spot this scam before it's too late?

One red flag is usually enough. Two and you know for sure something is off. Stop, hang up, click away, call the real organization via a number you look up yourself.

The email addresses you as "Dear user" with no personal details beyond a password.

The password is old or never used on a sensitive site.

There's no actual evidence (no screenshot, no video).

Demands in Bitcoin, USDT or Monero

anonymous.

Identical emails turn up elsewhere (search the text online).

What to do

What to do if you've been targeted

In this order. Time is money — literally. The faster you call, the bigger the chance the bank can still reverse a transaction.

1
Don't reply, don't pay. Mark as phishing and delete.
2
Change the old password everywhere you still use it. Enable 2FA.
3
Check your email at haveibeenpwned.com to see which breach the password came from.
4
For targeted blackmail (real images): save evidence, don't block before you have screenshots.
5
Report via meld.nl/sextortion or to the police on 0900-8844.
6
For minors: helpwanted.nl (Offlimits) or via police/Halt.

Common search queries

What people Google when they run into this scam

Recognize your own situation in one of these phrases? Paste your input into the checker above and you'll get an instant dossier — no account needed.

“email with old password blackmail Bitcoin”
“sextortion email what to do”
“extortion email nude photos fake”
“pay Bitcoin blackmail email fake”
“someone claims to have hacked my webcam”
“sextortion email ignore or report”
“extortion email password leak”
“minor sextortion help”

Common questions

Common questions about this scam

What is sextortion email with your old password? why you don't need to pay?

A mass email claims your computer is hacked and you were filmed through your webcam while watching porn. To look credible, an old password from a data breach is quoted (often LinkedIn 2012 or Adobe 2013).

Email with old password blackmail Bitcoin?

The email addresses you as "Dear user" with no personal details beyond a password. Don't reply, don't pay. Mark as phishing and delete.

Sextortion email what to do?

The password is old or never used on a sensitive site. Change the old password everywhere you still use it. Enable 2FA.

Extortion email nude photos fake?

There's no actual evidence (no screenshot, no video). Check your email at haveibeenpwned.com to see which breach the password came from.

What should I do if I've been a victim?

Don't reply, don't pay. Mark as phishing and delete. Change the old password everywhere you still use it. Enable 2FA. Check your email at haveibeenpwned.com to see which breach the password came from.

Will I get my money back?

Whether you get your money back depends on the type of scam, how quickly you called your bank and whether you handed over credentials yourself. Dutch banks operate a goodwill scheme but in practice rarely pay out 100%. Always file a police report immediately and report to the Fraudehelpdesk — this strengthens your case.

Sextortion email with your old password? Why you don't need to pay

What the numbers show

How does this scam actually work in practice?

How do you spot this scam before it's too late?

What to do if you've been targeted

Concrete examples of this scam type

What people Google when they run into this scam

Common questions about this scam

Call these numbers now — in this order

Sextortion email with your old password? Why you don't need to pay

What the numbers show

How does this scam actually work in practice?

How do you spot this scam before it's too late?

What to do if you've been targeted

Concrete examples of this scam type

What people Google when they run into this scam

Often combined with these other scam types

Common questions about this scam

Call these numbers now — in this order