The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has sued an Ohio-based company, Digital Forensics Corporation (DFC), its owner Dmitry Belkin and several affiliated companies, alleging they collected at least $60 million from people being blackmailed with intimate images. According to the complaint, the scheme ran from February 2023 through July 2026 and targeted victims who were frightened that a sextortionist would send explicit material to family or employers. A federal court has temporarily ordered the business to stop operating until the case is decided. These are allegations; the defendants have not been found liable, and DFC did not respond to The Record’s request for comment.
The FTC says victims paid between $1,499 and $20,000 for “Phase 1” services described as stopping the attack, tracking down the blackmailer, producing an investigative report, notifying law enforcement and sending a cease-and-desist letter. The complaint alleges none of that was done: staff simply changed account settings to block the sextortionist, fabricated chat transcripts, and reused pre-saved coordinates, typically in Nigeria and the Philippines, to make victims believe the attacker had been located. Sales scripts were allegedly tailored to each victim’s fears, such as dishonorable discharge for military members or exposure to in-laws for married victims. Workers also allegedly told victims that ignoring and blocking the blackmailer, which the FBI has long recommended, was “the last thing you want to do.” The complaint further alleges that every customer was pressured into a costlier “Phase 2” monitoring package, that refunds were often refused, and that the firm posted fake positive reviews, including testimonials from paid Uber drivers, while pointing unhappy customers to fake Better Business Bureau sites. The FTC says it has received hundreds of reports about the company.
If you or someone you know is being sextorted, the guidance the complaint cites from the FBI is to stop engaging, block the sender and report it, rather than pay anyone who promises to make it go away. Be wary of any firm that advertises on search, video or social platforms and guarantees to “track” a blackmailer or remove images.
Sources
- The Record: FTC: Company netted at least $60 million charging sextortion victims for help it didn’t provide
- FTC press release announcing the lawsuit against the operator of the sextortion relief scheme (linked from The Record; the FTC site did not load for automated checks)