052 Blackmail or other extortion

Extortion is characterised by an unlawful demand with intent to gain a benefit such as money or property, or with intent to cause detriment to a person, and use of coercive measures to be carried out in the future if the demand is not met.

Coercive measures include, but are not limited to, the threat of force or violence, misuse of authority, criminal prosecution, destruction of a person’s reputation or social standing, or destruction of a person’s property.

The victim may be a person or organisation, and coercive measures may relate to the victim or other people.

Blackmail is one form of extortion, where the threat is to release harmful information or images. There are also other forms of extortion, for example where something is taken or held (such as data through ransomware, or highly valued personal property through theft), and money or other assets are demanded in exchange for its return.

• Blackmail
• Demands for ransom, including use of ransomware
• Industrial or corporate extortion
• Sexual extortion (“sextortion”)
• Use of malware or phishing for extortion
• Use threats to demand money or property via email, letter, text message, or phone call
• Other extortion offences

• Kidnap a person for ransom or gain – coded to 0420 Abduction or kidnapping
• Online scams that use deception rather than threat – coded to 0812 Online scams
• Sexual extortion of a child – coded to 0341 Produce or distribute child abuse material