Extortion

Inlaw,extortionis acriminal offense.It is obtainingmoney,property,orservicefrom apersonorinstitution,throughcoercion.This may be bythreatto avictim,to theirpropertyorfamily.It may also be byfalseclaim(such as claiming to be apublic official).Another form of extortion is offering abusinessowner"protection"; for example, to keep the business free fromvandalismorburglary.In allstates of the United Statesextortion is afelony.

Extortion may be in person, bytelephone,mail,e-mail,text messageor any form ofwireless communication.If the extortion involves any form ofinterstate commerce,it may be afederalcrime.It may involve the threat ofhacking.

Extortion, likerobberyandblackmail,are crimes that involve obtaining property byillegalmeans.The most serious of the three is robbery because it usually involvesviolenceagainst the victim. Blackmail is a form of extortion. The threat is usually makingdamagingorembarrassinginformation public if demands are not met.The legaldefinitionof extortion varies from onejurisdictionto another. In some states, extortion is only charged against public officials while the same act committed by a private individual is charged as blackmail.