GlossaryCrime classifications
Extortion
Extortion is unlawfully obtaining something of value through threats, coercion, or misuse of authority.
Extortion is unlawfully obtaining something of value through threats, coercion, or misuse of authority. Blackmail is a closely associated term, often involving threats to reveal information or damage a reputation. In public crime data, the combined category “Extortion/Blackmail” has specific reporting rules and is not a conclusion that a defendant was convicted.
What a record is describing
The FBI's 2025.0 NIBRS manual classifies extortion/blackmail as an offense against property. The value sought can include something other than cash. The label therefore does not necessarily mean physical property was stolen or that a threat involved a weapon.
A useful record distinguishes the threatening conduct, the benefit demanded, and any payment or transfer. A brief category field often does not reveal all three. Avoid inferring the amount of loss or whether a demand succeeded from the heading alone.
Example
Hypothetical example: A business owner reports receiving messages demanding $4,000 in return for not releasing private business information. Investigators record an extortion allegation; the owner has not paid.
The demand and threatened consequence explain the classification under review. The requested amount is not a $4,000 confirmed financial loss. A summary should distinguish what was demanded from what was transferred, and should identify whether the agency recorded an attempted or completed offense.
Common confusion
Robbery involves a different relationship between force, confrontation, and taking property. The NIBRS manual specifically addresses immediate threats during a personal confrontation when distinguishing robbery from extortion.
Intimidation can concern threats of bodily harm without a demand for value. A threatening message is not automatically an extortion offense merely because it is frightening.
Source scope
This explanation uses the FBI's June 23, 2025 reporting manual. For an actual criminal charge, the governing statute defines the legal requirements. A local dataset may map several statutory descriptions into the combined reporting category; consult its codebook before comparing labels across agencies.