How is Blackmail Different from Extortion?
Extortion and blackmail are quite similar. Many states have laws against blackmail and extortion. The distinction between extortion and blackmail is the following:
- Blackmail is a crime based on information, whereas extortion is essentially a crime of force.
- Extortion is the act of obtaining anything (such as money, property, or services) from another person using violence, threats, intimidation, abuse of power, or other types of coercion. In contrast, blackmail is the act of extorting money from someone.
- Blackmail is frequently seen as a subset of extortion rather than a synonym for the term. Extortion is a more broad phrase than blackmail.
- Extortion and blackmail are both illegal under federal and state law in the United States. These phrases are closely linked in the legal context. In federal law, they are used interchangeably to refer to the same crime, a misdemeanor.
- Extortion is the threat of bodily injury or property damage, whereas blackmail is the threat of revealing sensitive or harmful information (true or false).
- Because the substance of both threats is so similar, many states have criminal statutes that address both simultaneously.