I need help and advice. I was caught up in a fake job scam involving picking up money and sending out fake checks. I have lost $24,000 of my own money from my paychecks and taxes over 2023, 2024, and 2025. I was scammed by the same person who was playing as three or four people on the same email, WhatsApp, and another app.
Now, someone has emailed me claiming they can "help" me get away from the scammers. They are telling me that I am viewed as a criminal because I "agreed" to work for the scammers and that I'm responsible for money stolen from other victims. They are demanding I pay another $24,000 immediately to stay out of jail.
I am terrified. I have already lost everything I have. Is this a recovery scam or a real legal threat? What do I do?
I forgot to mention: this person has been watching my personal life since 2018. They are threatening to send my nudes to the colleges I attended, post them for the world to see, and threatened to arrest me if I go to the police or a lawyer about it. They even stated that the victims' families demand $48,000 for funeral payments since they say the victim ended themselves. They refused to give me the badge number, their workplace, or the name of the victim who passed away. The only thing I remember is the name of a person who contacted me.
I have finally reached out to someone who can take this case. I haven't sent anyone my nudes since I always keep them locked in my phone. I didn't know the checks were fake until that person contacted me and told me they were fake. The real scammer reached out to me through a fake ad that was supposed to be a normal work-from-home job because I need extra income to provide.