{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7133136635","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/info17030236","title":"Uncovering Cryptocurrency-Enabled Sextortion: A Blockchain Forensic Analysis of Transactions and Offender Laundering Tactics","display_name":"Uncovering Cryptocurrency-Enabled Sextortion: A Blockchain Forensic Analysis of Transactions and Offender Laundering Tactics","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7133136635","doi":"https://doi.org/10.3390/info17030236"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.3390/info17030236","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/info17030236","pdf_url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/17/3/236/pdf?version=1772710669","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210219776","display_name":"Information","issn_l":"2078-2489","issn":["2078-2489"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310310987","host_organization_name":"Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310310987"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Information","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","doaj"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"gold","oa_url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/17/3/236/pdf?version=1772710669","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5016284928","display_name":"Kyung-Shick Choi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0419-9681"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I111088046","display_name":"Boston University","ror":"https://ror.org/05qwgg493","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I111088046"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I33434090","display_name":"University of Massachusetts Boston","ror":"https://ror.org/04ydmy275","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I33434090"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kyung-Shick Choi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Applied Social Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0419-9681","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Applied Social Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I111088046","https://openalex.org/I33434090"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5048558824","display_name":"Mohamed Chawki","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3189-5444"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I4210142658","display_name":"Naif Arab University for Security Sciences","ror":"https://ror.org/049c46160","country_code":"SA","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I4210142658"]}],"countries":["SA"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Mohamed Chawki","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Law, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh 14812, Saudi Arabia"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3189-5444","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Law, Naif Arab University for Security Sciences, Riyadh 14812, Saudi Arabia","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210142658"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5091854715","display_name":"Subhajit Basu","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5863-854X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I130828816","display_name":"University of Leeds","ror":"https://ror.org/024mrxd33","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I130828816"]}],"countries":["GB"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Subhajit Basu","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Law, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK"],"raw_orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5863-854X","affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Law, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I130828816"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":3,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5048558824"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I4210142658"],"apc_list":{"value":1400,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":1515},"apc_paid":{"value":1400,"currency":"CHF","value_usd":1515},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.33364506,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":"17","issue":"3","first_page":"236","last_page":"236"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11838","display_name":"Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance","score":0.44769999384880066,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11838","display_name":"Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance","score":0.44769999384880066,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/3312","display_name":"Sociology and Political Science"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/33","display_name":"Social Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12519","display_name":"Cybercrime and Law Enforcement Studies","score":0.3264000117778778,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10270","display_name":"Blockchain Technology Applications and Security","score":0.05770000070333481,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1710","display_name":"Information Systems"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/money-laundering","display_name":"Money laundering","score":0.8159999847412109},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/cryptocurrency","display_name":"Cryptocurrency","score":0.8003000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/digital-forensics","display_name":"Digital forensics","score":0.741100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/extortion","display_name":"Extortion","score":0.5752000212669373},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/payment","display_name":"Payment","score":0.501800000667572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/typology","display_name":"Typology","score":0.4260999858379364},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/digital-evidence","display_name":"Digital evidence","score":0.414900004863739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/scripting-language","display_name":"Scripting language","score":0.4115999937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-forensics","display_name":"Computer forensics","score":0.3944999873638153}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780005421","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q151900","display_name":"Money laundering","level":2,"score":0.8159999847412109},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C180706569","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13479982","display_name":"Cryptocurrency","level":2,"score":0.8003000020980835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C84418412","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3246940","display_name":"Digital forensics","level":2,"score":0.741100013256073},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779066997","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6452087","display_name":"Extortion","level":2,"score":0.5752000212669373},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C38652104","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3510521","display_name":"Computer security","level":1,"score":0.5482000112533569},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C108827166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q175975","display_name":"Internet privacy","level":1,"score":0.5461999773979187},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144133560","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4830453","display_name":"Business","level":0,"score":0.5041999816894531},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C145097563","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1148747","display_name":"Payment","level":2,"score":0.501800000667572},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C75795011","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q917904","display_name":"Typology","level":2,"score":0.4260999858379364},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2781357168","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5276084","display_name":"Digital evidence","level":3,"score":0.414900004863739},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61423126","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q187432","display_name":"Scripting language","level":2,"score":0.4115999937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C556601545","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q878553","display_name":"Computer forensics","level":3,"score":0.3944999873638153},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C27219730","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q46952","display_name":"Organised crime","level":2,"score":0.3824000060558319},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199776023","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q202875","display_name":"Negotiation","level":2,"score":0.3714999854564667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C3018587665","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7268696","display_name":"Qualitative analysis","level":3,"score":0.3569999933242798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776633304","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6038026","display_name":"Insider threat","level":3,"score":0.35199999809265137},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C164850336","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3685487","display_name":"Interpersonal communication","level":2,"score":0.34929999709129333},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C199033989","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1318295","display_name":"Narrative","level":2,"score":0.3384000062942505},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779687700","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20514253","display_name":"Blockchain","level":2,"score":0.33500000834465027},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C190248442","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q839486","display_name":"Qualitative research","level":2,"score":0.32850000262260437},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C73484699","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q161733","display_name":"Criminology","level":1,"score":0.3237999975681305},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2522767166","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2374463","display_name":"Data science","level":1,"score":0.30970001220703125},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2776196576","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q196113","display_name":"Camouflage","level":2,"score":0.3089999854564667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C91302708","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2732056","display_name":"Ledger","level":2,"score":0.2944999933242798},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2984309518","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q181784","display_name":"Human trafficking","level":2,"score":0.29339998960494995},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C117893075","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6966213","display_name":"Narrative inquiry","level":3,"score":0.2912999987602234},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780262971","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q44554","display_name":"Law enforcement","level":2,"score":0.2912999987602234},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.28630000352859497},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C178005623","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q308859","display_name":"Anonymity","level":2,"score":0.27970001101493835},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779797433","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q632959","display_name":"Blacklisting","level":2,"score":0.262800008058548},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C140505726","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q495304","display_name":"Forensic science","level":2,"score":0.258899986743927}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":2,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.3390/info17030236","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/info17030236","pdf_url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/17/3/236/pdf?version=1772710669","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210219776","display_name":"Information","issn_l":"2078-2489","issn":["2078-2489"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310310987","host_organization_name":"Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310310987"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Information","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"pmh:oai:doaj.org/article:a8aa01858b4d4fb7906ead1d8a757484","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doaj.org/article/a8aa01858b4d4fb7906ead1d8a757484","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306401280","display_name":"DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":null,"host_organization_name":null,"host_organization_lineage":[],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-sa","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-sa","version":"submittedVersion","is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"Information, Vol 17, Iss 3, p 236 (2026)","raw_type":"article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.3390/info17030236","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.3390/info17030236","pdf_url":"https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/17/3/236/pdf?version=1772710669","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4210219776","display_name":"Information","issn_l":"2078-2489","issn":["2078-2489"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":true,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310310987","host_organization_name":"Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310310987"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Information","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions","id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","score":0.42160189151763916}],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G5343385877","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"NAUSS-25-R15","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320319362","funder_display_name":"Naif Arab University for Security Sciences"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320319362","display_name":"Naif Arab University for Security Sciences","ror":"https://ror.org/049c46160"}],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7133136635.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W7133136635.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Sextortion":[0],"has":[1],"rapidly":[2],"expanded":[3],"into":[4],"a":[5,29,78,112],"global":[6],"cyber-enabled":[7],"crime":[8],"that":[9,92],"leverages":[10],"anonymous":[11],"digital":[12],"communication":[13],"and":[14,43,62,65,100,106,123,126,131],"decentralized":[15],"payment":[16],"systems.":[17],"This":[18],"study":[19,110],"examines":[20],"the":[21,46],"financial":[22],"infrastructures":[23],"underlying":[24],"contemporary":[25],"sextortion":[26,130],"by":[27],"conducting":[28],"two-phase":[30],"analysis":[31],"of":[32],"87":[33],"confirmed":[34],"cases":[35],"involving":[36],"cryptocurrency":[37,118],"payments.":[38],"Using":[39],"blockchain":[40],"forensic":[41,113],"tools":[42],"open-source":[44],"intelligence,":[45],"research":[47],"traces":[48],"fund":[49],"movements":[50],"across":[51],"perpetrator-controlled":[52],"wallets,":[53],"identifies":[54],"laundering":[55,90],"techniques":[56],"such":[57],"as":[58],"mixers,":[59],"peel-chain":[60],"transfers,":[61],"exchange-based":[63],"cash-outs,":[64],"links":[66],"these":[67],"behaviors":[68],"to":[69,129],"narrative":[70],"patterns":[71],"within":[72],"victim":[73],"reports.":[74],"The":[75],"results":[76],"reveal":[77],"dual-tier":[79],"ecosystem":[80],"in":[81],"which":[82],"mass-produced,":[83],"multilingual":[84],"extortion":[85],"scripts":[86],"coexist":[87],"with":[88],"divergent":[89],"typologies":[91],"differentiate":[93],"lower-value,":[94],"high-volume":[95],"scams":[96],"from":[97],"more":[98],"organized":[99],"higher-yield":[101],"operations.":[102],"By":[103],"integrating":[104],"qualitative":[105],"quantitative":[107],"evidence,":[108],"this":[109],"provides":[111],"framework":[114],"for":[115],"detecting":[116],"illicit":[117],"activity,":[119],"improving":[120],"threat":[121],"classification,":[122],"strengthening":[124],"investigative":[125],"regulatory":[127],"responses":[128],"related":[132],"crypto-enabled":[133],"interpersonal":[134],"crimes.":[135]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-05-06T08:25:59.206177","created_date":"2026-03-02T00:00:00"}
