US Regulator Alleges Firm Made $60 Million Selling Fake Help to Sextortion Victims

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says an Ohio-based company collected at least $60 million from people facing sextortion threats by selling help it did not provide. The complaint names Digital Forensics Corporation (DFC), its owner Dmitry Belkin and several affiliated companies. The FTC alleges the scheme ran from February 2023 through July 2026. A federal court has temporarily ordered the business to stop operating until a decision is reached.

According to the complaint, victims were pushed to pay between $1,499 and $20,000 for so-called Phase 1 services. These were said to include stopping the attack, tracking the sextortionist, producing an investigative report, notifying law enforcement and sending a cease-and-desist letter. The FTC alleges none of this happened. Instead, staff allegedly changed account settings to block the sextortionist and fabricated chat transcripts. The company also allegedly reused saved location coordinates, typically for Nigeria and the Philippines, to make victims believe the offender had been found.

The FTC says sales calls followed a script that was tailored to each person's fears. Military personnel were allegedly warned of a dishonorable discharge, while married victims were told a sextortionist could target their spouse and in-laws. The complaint says the defendants falsely presented themselves as digital forensics experts. These are allegations from the FTC, and the court has not yet reached a decision.