FTC sues Dmitry Belkin over sham sextortion help sold through online ads
FTC sued Dmitry Belkin and 12 firms in Ohio, alleging they took at least $60 million from sextortion victims for help they mostly did not deliver. The complaint is an allegation, but it gives anyone advising victims specific things to check in a paid helpline.
The Watch · Security desk
Key figures from the FTC complaint: at least $60 million taken from customers; a Phase 1 package priced from $1,499 up to $20,000; and 12 Belkin businesses sued alongside him.
| Figure | Value | Note | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taken from customers, at least, per FTC | $60,000,000 | 4 | |
| Phase 1 package price, at least | $1,499 | up to $20,000, per the complaint | 5 |
| Businesses sued with Belkin | 12 firms | 1 |
What happened
- The firms, including Digital Forensics Corp. and 1st All Data Recovery, ran sites such as BlackmailHelpline.com that were routinely advertised on Google, YouTube and X to people searching for sextortion help.
- The FTC says a "Phase 1" package cost between $1,499 and $20,000 and promised to stop an ongoing attack, trace the sextortionist and send a cease-and-desist letter.
- According to the complaint, the firms used the customer's own account to talk to the scammer, changed settings to block them, fabricated chat transcripts and used pre-saved geolocation coordinates.
- Customers were then pressed for thousands of dollars more for "Phase 2" account monitoring, which the FTC alleges was not performed either.
- Unhappy customers were sent to a fake version of the Better Business Bureau's website that Belkin controlled, according to the complaint.
Why it matters
- exposure People searching for help during an active sextortion threat are the audience those ads reach, and the complaint says the sites then told them police would not help.
- decision Before naming a paid service to a victim, an adviser has to check whether that service discourages a police report.
- constraint The suit covers one owner and 12 firms and is unproven. It does not show that other paid sextortion services operate this way.
The sales call is where the complaint says the pressure was applied. Belkin drafted a script for telemarketing calls that was designed explicitly to exploit victims' fears about their nude images being made public [8]. After each call, employees filled out a form confirming they had used phrases such as "pedophile," "devastating consequences," "life altering" and "no coming back after this" [9]. The script said at one point, "I've seen these situations ruin people's retirement all from the accusation of being a child predator," according to the complaint [10]. Some customers were also asked whether their marriage was "on the rocks," or whether young children could "mean a custody battle" [11].
The pitch itself is the part an adviser can check. "Defendants falsely portray themselves as digital forensics experts, claiming they can track and identify sextortionists, prevent the spread of explicit material, and coordinate with law enforcement to bring criminals to justice," the FTC said in its complaint [12]. The same complaint says the defendants told victims that law enforcement would not help stop the attack and that contacting police was "the last thing you want to do" [13].
The real Better Business Bureau page for Digital Forensics Corp. still lists numerous complaints [16]. One, filed in August, says the customer signed a contract in 2023 "out of sheer panic and fear" and is still making payments [17]. The FTC says the companies received hundreds of requests for refunds and often denied them [14].
The case is a lawsuit, and everything above is the FTC's allegation as CyberScoop reports it. The FTC says the conduct dates to at least 2020 [20] and the suit names 13 defendants [19]. It asks the court to stop Belkin from further operations [18]. CyberScoop's account does not say how many customers paid, whether the sites' ads are still running, or how the defendants have responded.
What to watch
- Whether the Ohio court grants the FTC's request to stop Belkin from further operations.
- Whether ads for BlackmailHelpline.com, DigitalForensics.com and the other named sites keep appearing on Google, YouTube and X.
- Whether Belkin and the 12 firms file a defense to the allegations.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence55
- Adoption
- Insufficient
- Hype gap+8
- Incentives
- Insufficient
- Confidence60
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
The FTC filed a federal lawsuit in Ohio earlier this month against Dmitry Belkin and 12 of his businesses.
- [2]
Most of Belkin's companies, with names like Digital Forensics Corp., 1st All Data Recovery and Remote Backup Corp., advertised services to help people deal with sextortion scams.
- [3]
Their websites, including BlackmailHelpline.com and DigitalForensics.com, were routinely advertised on Google, YouTube, X and other sites when users were searching for help with sextortion attacks.
- [4]
The FTC alleges that despite taking in at least $60 million from customers, Belkin and his companies routinely failed to deliver most of the listed services, generated fake transcripts to make customers believe a sextortion threat had dissipated, and routinely denied refund requests.
- [5]
According to the complaint, the companies first pitched a "Phase 1" package priced between $1,499 and $20,000 that included stopping an ongoing attack, handling communications with the sextortionist, tracing their location, sending a legal cease-and-desist letter and reporting evidence to law enforcement.
- [6]
The FTC complaint alleges the companies simply used the customer's account to communicate with the scammer, changed account settings to block them, fabricated chat transcripts and used pre-saved geolocation coordinates to fool customers.
- [7]
After customers bought Phase 1 services, the companies routinely pressured them for thousands of dollars in additional "Phase 2" monitoring services; the FTC alleged "Defendants do not perform any of these services either."
- [8]
The complaint alleges Belkin drafted a script for employees to use during telemarketing calls, designed explicitly to exploit victims' fears and anxieties about their nude images being made public.
- [9]
After each call, employees filled out a form confirming they had used certain keywords or phrases, such as "pedophile," "devastating consequences," "life altering" and "no coming back after this."
- [10]
"I've seen these situations ruin people's retirement all from the accusation of being a child predator," the script said at one point, according to the complaint.
- [11]
Some customers were asked seemingly unrelated personal questions, such as whether their marriage was "on the rocks," whether they had cheated on a spouse, or whether they had young children that could "mean a custody battle" if the images were released.
- [12]
"Defendants falsely portray themselves as digital forensics experts, claiming they can track and identify sextortionists, prevent the spread of explicit material, and coordinate with law enforcement to bring criminals to justice," the FTC said in its complaint.
- [13]
The complaint says the defendants mislead victims by asserting that law enforcement will not help stop the sextortion attack and that contacting the police is "the last thing you want to do."
- [14]
The companies received hundreds of requests for refunds but often denied them.
- [15]
Unhappy customers were directed to a fake version of the Better Business Bureau's website, controlled by Belkin, to submit their complaints.
- [16]
The actual Better Business Bureau page for Digital Forensics Corp. still includes numerous complaints from customers alleging they were defrauded.
- [17]
One customer complaint, filed in August, states that the customer signed a contract in 2023 "out of sheer panic and fear" and was still making payments.
- [18]
The FTC is asking a court to stop Belkin, owner of multiple digital security and privacy companies, from further operations.
- [19]
The suit names 13 defendants: Belkin and his 12 businesses.
- [20]
The suit alleges unfair and deceptive trade practices and violations of the Telemarketing Act's prohibition against deceptive and abusive telemarketing acts since at least 2020.
Sources
2 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- cyberscoop.comFTC says ‘sextortion’ protection companies deceived customers about services
1 article · October 13, 2026
- therecord.mediaFTC: Company netted at least $60 million charging sextortion victims for help it didn’t provide
1 article · October 13, 2026
Topics and entities
Follow any of these and your For You feed starts watching them — no settings page required.
Topics
Entities
- Dmitry BelkinFollow
- Federal Trade CommissionFollow
- Digital Forensics Corp.Follow
- Better Business BureauFollow