Sextortion Victims Allege Deceptive Practices by Digital Forensics Corporation

A growing cybercrime known as financial sextortion is preying on vulnerable individuals, particularly children and young men in North America. In a chilling account, a 44-year-old man found himself ensnared in a sextortion scheme after encountering a scammer on a dating app. The blackmailer, posing as someone else, threatened to release nude images of the man to his family, friends, and employer if he didn’t comply with their demands.

Desperate to protect his reputation and career, the victim initially purchased $1,000 worth of eBay gift cards for the scammer. However, the extortionist continued to increase the ransom, leaving the man feeling trapped and hopeless. In a moment of panic, he turned to Digital Forensics Corporation (DFC), an Ohio-based company that claimed to specialize in deleting explicit photos and helping sextortion victims.

DFC promised to assist the man in removing the compromising images, but the service came with a hefty price tag of $3,000. Despite feeling uneasy about the situation, the victim complied and paid half of the money upfront via credit card and the other half through a physical check. Looking back, he recognizes the numerous red flags he overlooked in his distressed state.

A USA TODAY investigation has uncovered a pattern of complaints against DFC, with customers alleging inflated promises and exorbitant prices. The investigation, based on business filings, lawsuits, internal company documents, and more than 100 complaints to state regulators and the Better Business Bureau, paints a troubling picture of a company that may be exploiting vulnerable individuals in their time of crisis.

While DFC maintains that it has received thousands of positive reviews and works diligently to address consumer complaints, former clients and employees have come forward with allegations of manipulative sales tactics, scare tactics, and underdelivered services. USA TODAY interviewed nearly three dozen customers and reviewed 11 contracts, and gathered information from three former and three current employees of the company.

Jeromy Simonovic, in-house counsel for DFC, defends the company’s practices, stating that the majority of their 1,000 customers per month are satisfied with their services. He acknowledges that some clients may be emotionally harmed by scammers before seeking DFC’s help.

Simonovic emphasizes that DFC’s customer agreement reflects transparency by stating that the company cannot guarantee outcomes due to factors beyond their control, such as the unpredictable nature of blackmailers. He also defends the use of horror stories by sales staff, claiming that blackmailers are starting to fear DFC.

However, the FBI has issued warnings against the use of for-profit companies offering sextortion assistance services, citing exorbitant fees. The FBI encourages victims to work with law enforcement and nonprofit agencies that provide assistance for free. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Crimes Center echoes this sentiment, stating that they do not work with, coordinate with, or endorse for-profit sextortion assistance companies.

Despite the criticisms, DFC has provided internal feedback from over 2,700 customers since January 2024 who reportedly expressed satisfaction with the service. USA TODAY contacted 51 of these customers, who ranged from students to retirees and janitors to grocery store baggers nationwide. While many acknowledged that DFC provided relief, they also noted the high cost of the services.

Several customers reported purchasing DFC’s additional monitoring service, but few confirmed that the company obtained proof that stolen content had been deleted. One business owner in Indiana, who paid his scammer $1,000 and then spent $10,000 on DFC’s full suite of monitoring, admitted to seeing negative reviews for DFC but felt he had no other options. He stated that the company stayed in contact with him and that the blackmailer eventually went away.

Another client, a 70-year-old man, expressed regret that he was unaware of free services available from law enforcement and nonprofit groups. He claimed that DFC dissuaded him from contacting the police, assuring him that he would be taken care of. DFC denies these claims, stating that it is contrary to company policy to advise clients against contacting law enforcement.

Sextortion victims who contacted DFC’s "helpline" described feeling pressured and manipulated during the sales process. Internal documents reveal that the call script quickly steers the conversation toward a sales pitch. Salespeople allegedly scare victims by suggesting that their predators might create websites to expose their explicit content if they don’t cooperate with DFC.

DFC uses clients’ social media logins to track down blackmailers by enticing them to click on tracking links. The company then sends a cease and desist letter to the perpetrator. The cost of these services starts at $1,499.

Simonovic defends the company’s pricing as transparent and states that the decision to proceed with services is up to the individual. However, attorneys for DFC have characterized the call scripts as stolen and unverified. The scripts allegedly instruct salespeople to gather information about the victim’s personal life, such as marital status and involvement in activities, to suggest potential consequences like divorce or custody battles.

One 28-year-old man in Ohio claims that DFC told him his blackmailer would release everything if he didn’t use their service. After making a down payment, he was pressured to upgrade to a more expensive plan that provided surveillance of his accounts. DFC representatives allegedly told clients that their passwords and stolen data were likely for sale on the dark web and that criminals might also sell stolen credit card information or Social Security numbers.

In other instances, former clients claim that DFC warned them about criminals photoshopping underage girls next to the naked images or releasing the explicit content a year later if they declined to upgrade to the Phase II plan. DFC claims it feels obligated to inform clients of potential outcomes and how their sensitive data may be used to pressure them into paying perpetrators.

Internal documents also outline strategies for damage control. Salespeople are instructed to address negative BBB reviews by telling clients that those who leave negative reviews are simply reacting emotionally to an honest report. They are then directed to other review sites like TrustPilot.com and ResellerRatings.com.

The Ohio Better Business Bureau has issued multiple warning alerts about Digital Forensics, noting that it is not BBB accredited. The BBB claims that DFC has requested consumers to remove their reviews as a condition of resolving complaints with refunds, a practice now prohibited by a new Federal Trade Commission rule.

The BBB has fielded 92 complaints about DFC’s services in the past three years. The organization claims the company routinely misrepresents the type of evidence, email, and photos that would be provided when consumers paid additional money for "Phase II" reporting.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has also received more than two dozen reports related to DFC through their CyberTipline.

In 2023, the largest online sextortion support forum, r/sextortion on Reddit, blacklisted DFC and banned any recommendations of the company due to alleged predatory sales tactics. DFC questioned whether the Reddit posters had actually used its services and claimed the forum refused to allow it a chance to rebut criticisms.

DFC has touted an appearance on the "Dr. Phil" television show as evidence of its expertise. However, subsequent videos show DFC has recycled its "Dr. Phil" appearance in marketing materials and edited the clip to swap out an ex-DFC staff member with a new one.

Cybersecurity experts say it is nearly impossible to guarantee the complete deletion of nude images from the internet without access to the scammer’s physical device. John Breyault, vice president of the National Consumers League, expressed concern about Digital Forensics’ tactics, stating that there is no "silver bullet" to remove images from the entire internet.

DFCs advice for scam victims often runs counter to best practices recommended by experts. For example, the company recommends victims get back in touch with their scammer in order for DFC to send a tracking link. Cybersecurity experts say blocking and ignoring scammers is the best approach. Furthermore, DFC’s tactics to send predators cease and desist orders may momentarily alleviate victims’ anxiety, but they aren’t legally enforceable, according to the FBI.

Victims are encouraged to utilize free services like Take It Down and StopNCII.org, offered by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, to remove private content from social media.

The 44-year-old man who signed the $3,000 Phase I DFC contract initially filed a complaint to his state’s attorney general’s office but ultimately dropped it due to the emotional turmoil of reliving his sextortion experience. He expressed shame over his experience and the thousands he paid DFC.

"If these (nude photos) get out, not only are there some embarrassing things about your sex life that you don’t really want being shared with relatives and colleagues, but also do you want it getting out that you were stupid and fell for this?" he said.