Image credit: Josh Kirschner/Techlicious conceptual image via ChatGPT
A federal court has temporarily halted Digital Forensics Corporation, a company that advertised help for sextortion victims, after the Federal Trade Commission alleged it misled victims into paying at least $60 million for services it often did not provide. The FTC announced the case on October 13, a week after its complaint was filed under seal in federal court in Ohio.
Sextortion is a crime in which someone threatens to publish a nude or sexual image of a victim unless the victim pays. The FTC says Digital Forensics targeted people in that situation with ads on Google, YouTube, and X, claiming it could "track down cyber criminals across the world" and "give law enforcement the evidence they need to make arrests."
Customers paid between $1,499 and $20,000 for a "Phase 1" package that was supposed to include tracking the sextortionist's location, communicating with the criminal, producing an investigative report, and reporting the crime to law enforcement. The FTC alleges the company often did none of it. Instead, the company simply blocked the sextortionist on the victim's accounts (which victims can do themselves), created fake chat transcripts, made-up investigative information, and did not contact law enforcement. According to the complaint (PDF), former employees said the company simply reused saved map coordinates, often for Nigeria or the Philippines, in its tracking reports.
After Phase 1, the FTC alleges, the company pressured customers to buy "Phase 2," ongoing monitoring of their accounts, typically for another $2,000 to $5,000 or more. The complaint says a former employee estimated that more than half of customers signed up. The FTC says telemarketers used scare tactics tailored to each victim: service members were warned of a dishonorable discharge, and married victims were told the sextortionist would target their spouse and in-laws.
The FTC also alleges the company hid its failures with fake reviews. Employees based in India wrote fake positive reviews, and the company bought positive reviews from Uber drivers who never used its services. It also allegedly pressured customers to post positive reviews before they received any service. According to the complaint, dissatisfied customers were sent to a fake Better Business Bureau site so their negative reviews never reached the real one, and refunds were conditioned on removing negative reviews.
"Digital Forensics preys on consumers already in crisis, exploiting victims of sextortion by using fear to pressure them into paying thousands of dollars for services that are never provided," said Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The FTC alleges violations of the FTC Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule, the Reviews and Testimonials Rule, and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. It names owner Dmitry Belkin and 12 companies as defendants. The complaint asks the court for a permanent injunction, monetary relief, and an asset freeze.
The FBI warns victims of sextortion to avoid for-profit companies claiming to help. Instead, contact your local FBI field office or call 1-800-CALL-FBI. If your photos have already been posted to the internet, takeitdown.ncmec.org (minor victims) or stopncii.org (adult victims) can provide assistance with getting them removed.
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