This might be just a case where the law hasn't caught up with what the lawyers are doing. Extortion is "Pay me ${X} or I do ${Y}". "Pay me $10,000 or I releas

This might be just a case where the law hasn't caught up with what the lawyers are doing. Extortion is "Pay me ${X} or I do ${Y}". "Pay me $10,000 or I release these naughty images of you on the internet." is extortion. "Pay me $1,000, or I will foreclose on your property" is not, because likely you signed a contract agreeing to such a scenario. Now "Pay me $500, or I'll file a police report..." is extortion (at least according to here: https://criminal-law.freeadvice.com/criminal-law/violent_crimes/extortion.htm https://criminal-law.freeadvice.com/criminal-law/violent_cri... ) Even though you may have broken the law, the extortion of money to prevent the police report is still illegal.