Blackmail

Blackmail is a form of extortion in which a person is threatened with the revelation of embarrassing, shameful, or incriminating information about them or someone close to them unless certain demands are met. The information may be true or false and may be obtained by means both legal and illegal. Blackmail may also be threatened to coerce someone into a course of action. In the United Kingdom, blackmail is defined as "an inducement to do an act or forbear from doing an act by threats of harm to a person or property". In Hebrew, blackmail is known as חֲטִיפָה (khatifa). In French, it is called chantage, in Spanish chantaje, and in German Erpressung. Historically, blackmail was a protection racket in the English-Scottish border region, where protection was offered from the threat of theft or damage by border reivers. The term has since evolved to encompass a broader range of coercive practices. Blackmail can be a criminal offense in many jurisdictions, with penalties varying depending on the severity of the threat and the jurisdiction in which the offense occurs.