Blackmail on online dating sites by malicious people who lure their opposite numbers into accessing their nude photos. More often than not, the victim is subtly enticed by a criminal caller to pose nude in video chat or perform sexual acts on himself/herself. These images are then recorded without the victim’s knowledge. Once in possession of compelling images, the blackmailers put the person under pressure by threatening to share this compromising material with third parties (partner, employer, general public…) if he/she doesn’t pay. This is known as sextortion, a combination of the words “sex” and “extortion”.
Synonyms:
Sexual blackmail