You’ve heard about Cam Girls. Maybe you have event spent money on “tokens” to send to these beautiful models. But in this world of virtual relationships and cyber interactions, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, and not all Cam Girl accounts are being used as intended.
The FBI reported an increase in cases of sextortion and online blackmail where the victims have reported being extorted by either a Cam Girl or someone impersonating a Cam Girl. Most of the victims are men who visited/used adult cam websites or applications like OnlyFans.
What is a Cam Girl?
A Cam Girl or webcam model is a woman who performs live streaming on adult sites or apps. Their performances and recorded acts depend on the platform and the preferences of their audiences, but mostly, they range from chatting and role-playing to more explicit content.
As this online profession grows exponentially, its services have become more interactive and intimate. We know for some, it may seem strange to spend money on these “Live Entertainment” services, but there are many who use these applications which is what has made them such lucrative businesses.
They give their subscribers a sense of companionship, familiarity, and positive attention that makes them feel wanted. This feeling is what cybercriminals are able to exploit and coerce into full blown cases of sextortion and online blackmail.
Cam Girl Scams, a Sextortion Tactic
Just picture this: you’re enjoying a live stream of your favorite Cam Girl. You’re a regular and loyal fan, sending them tips and even paying for private sessions. The two of you have built what you might consider to be a bond. But then, they start to forget things you talked about, and asks for money for a “supposed” emergency. It’s like you’re talking with someone else, not the same person you know. And you should trust your gut.
Cyber scammers use all kinds of tactics to capture and convince their victims. They might start a friendly conversation or try to make you feel special, disguising themselves as a Cam Girl. The saddest part about this scam is that you will think there was a chance to be true for even the briefest of seconds.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Future technologies, including virtual reality and deepfakes, will massively affect the industry as a whole and create ample opportunities for criminals to exploit and extort.
The Increase of Cam Girl Scams Tied to OnlyFans
With almost 190 million users worldwide, OnlyFans is a famous content subscription service with Cam Girls on this platform making national headlines for the revenue they’ve made. They reach a large audience looking for live adult cam shows. Even though OnlyFans was not explicitly designed for camming, it has quickly become a leading platform for online webcam models.
However, this subscription-based service isn’t entirely safe and scam-free. Scammers often pretend to be the model of your dreams while live streaming or chatting with you only to gain your trust. These scams range from fake accounts posing as legitimate models to fully compensating models for creating fraudulent credentials and passing the content they collect over to other cybercriminals.
Regardless of the tactic the goal is simple, extort as many victims as you can.
Spotting a Cam Girl Scam
Cam Girl Scams can be very subtle or take place over a long period of time. That’s why you should always assume strangers online are not who they say they are. Even if you think you would never fall for such a scam, the thousands of victims that come forward each month tell a different story.
While cases of Cam Girl sextortion which leverage a live model are harder to avoid, those involving fraudulent or stolen credentials are easier to spot. These warning signs include:
- The content that is “Live” seems pre-recorded over out of sync.
- There is issues with them setting up a performance but they still want you to join them while off camera.
- They insist on taking the conversation to a different application such as WhatsApp or Telegram.
What Should You Do If Threatened
In cases of Cam Girl Sextortion, the intent of these cybercriminals is to get content of victims in compromising of sexual situations that they can then use to threaten and coerce them into paying continued amounts.
While the best method to combat this is to avoid these situations, victims of sextortion through Cam Girl sites do have options as a legitimate victim of sextortion.
If you find yourself in this situation please complete the following:
- Contact Law Enforcement: Start by filing a report with your local law enforcement before processing a report with the national cyber crime center for your country. This can include the United States IC3 and England’s National Crime Agency. Their goal is to seek justice on your behalf.
- Report The Account To The Platform: While this doesn’t stop the potential exposure, it does help ensure that the account is unable to lure any additional victims into a sextortion scam.
Other Organizations The Help Victims of Sextortion.
There are private cyber security companies that provide different services to victims of cyber crimes. Firms that work sextortion cases normally attempt to locate the actual criminal. By doing this they compile evidence which can be used to expedite the legal process and in some cases prevent the leaking of whatever leverage the blackmailer may have.
How Digital Investigations Helps Victims
Want to know who that person behind the screen really is? Let us help you. At Digital Forensics, we’ve developed tools such as IP-to-location ID and state-of-the-art software to track the digital trail that scammers leave behind.
Whether it’s a Cam Girl Scam or other form of online blackmail, we’ll expose their real IP addresses beyond any VPNs and other encryption methods they use. Call our Sextortion Helpline and speak to one of our expert webcam scam analysts.
Resources
https://mediavsreality.com/mediavsreality2/2020/04/25/the-truth-about-camgirls/
https://www.lukevuphd.com.au/resources/falling-for-a-cam-girl-addiction-or-pseudo-love
https://bunny-agency.com/english/webcam-modeling-vs-onlyfans-what-should-you-really-start-with/
https://www.supercreator.app/guides/livestreaming-or-camming-on-onlyfans
https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/onlyfans-sex-chatters/
https://dataprot.net/articles/what-are-onlyfans-scams-how-to-avoid-them/
DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER. DIGITAL INVESTIGATIONS CORP. IS NOT A LAWFIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR SERVICES. By viewing posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship, the post should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.
