Stop The Cartel Blackmail scam

The blackmailer texts the victims, claiming they are a cartel. They claim the victim wasted their girl's time, and now they must pay a fee. Otherwise, someone will show up at their home and harm the family. The message includes a database report displaying the home address, spouse and family member's names, and mobile numbers. Nothing is more jarring than a stranger knowing where you live. Sometimes, the predator will include horrible, violent photos.

The threatening criminals are not a real cartel and are not showing up at your home (relax). They use the fear of visiting you as leverage to make you pay. One tactic they use is bombarding you with text messages from multiple numbers. The slamming of texts is unnerving, and victims cannot think and are unsure how to respond. To diffuse, victims pay the demand, and if you pay, they demand more. Do not give in; stall the payment. 

The true risk of the Cartel or Escort Blackmail Scam is your text messages. The predator could search beyond a database report and locate your spouse's social media or LinkedIn for the employer. If they find it, the extortion changes and it is about exposing your text messages. Now, you are a victim of blackmail and not a scam.

If you need help with blackmail, email me (FA@FrankAhearn.com) with the details of your situation, and we can speak.

Protecting your identity means taking control of the information about you. I am baffled by people who engage in social media without setting it to private. Another issue is that no one takes the time to confirm whether the person who contacted them is real. Giving the benefit of the doubt to digital strangers is unsafe. Consider turning your social media private and removing your profile photo if it is a picture of you. Also, delete friends and followers you do not know (c'mon, you are grown up). 

If you live in the States, you should opt out of databases. The best way to do that is to look up the term "Opt Out of Database" on a search engine. Do not hire a company to do it for you, but search for sites like Intelius, People Finders, etc., and you will find information on their sites.