Someone Is Blackmailing Me Online

You Are Not Alone — and This Is Not Your Fault

Online blackmail happens to people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life. Attackers are skilled manipulators who deliberately target victims and create situations that feel impossible to escape.

Whatever happened — whether you shared something voluntarily, were deceived, or had your accounts hacked — the fault lies entirely with the person making the threats. Not you.

This guide will walk you through exactly what to do. The steps may feel difficult, but you are not without options.

The Single Most Important Rule: Do Not Pay

If you take nothing else from this guide, take this:

Do not pay. Do not send gift cards, cryptocurrency, bank transfers, or anything else.

This is not intuitive — paying feels like it will make the problem go away. It won’t. Research consistently shows that paying a blackmailer almost always results in:

Higher demands for more money
The attacker knowing you will pay, which makes you a repeat target
The content or information being shared anyway — even after payment

Once you pay once, the blackmailer has proof you respond to pressure, and the threats escalate. The only way to stop it is to stop cooperating entirely.

What Kind of Blackmail Are You Facing?

They have intimate photos or videos of me (sextortion)

Sextortion is one of the most common forms of online blackmail. The attacker threatens to send intimate images or videos to your friends, family, or employer unless you pay money or provide more content.

How it typically happens:

You shared images with someone you trusted, and the relationship turned threatening
You were tricked into sharing images with someone posing as a romantic interest
Your device or accounts were hacked and images were stolen

What to do:

Do not send more images. Do not pay. This always makes things worse.

Stop all contact with the attacker — but before you block them, take screenshots of every message, every threat, every payment request, and any profile information you can see (username, profile picture, account URL). You need this for your police report.

Report the account to the platform it’s on — every major platform (Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Discord) has a specific reporting option for sexual extortion. The account will typically be suspended quickly.

Report to authorities — this is a crime in virtually every country. File a report with your local police. Online reporting options:

UK: report to the National Crime Agency at nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk
US: report to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or the NCMEC Cybertipline at report.cybertip.org
EU/global: contact your national cybercrime reporting centre

If images have already been shared without your consent, there are ways to have them removed from the internet. Organisations like the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (cybercivilrights.org) and StopNCII (stopncii.org) specialise in exactly this — especially for young people.

The most important thing is to find an adult you trust and talk to them about it. Don’t keep this to yourself. A parent, a teacher, a school counsellor — anyone you feel safe with. You don’t have to handle this alone, and asking for help is the right move.

They have access to my accounts or private messages

The attacker has hacked into your email, social media, or messaging app and is threatening to publish private conversations, contacts, or information unless you pay.

What to do:

First, secure the compromised account immediately — change the password and enable two-factor authentication. If your email was hacked, see the email hacked guide. For social media, see the social media hacked guide.

Before blocking the attacker, screenshot every threat and every message they have sent you. Note down their username, profile URL, and any payment details they shared (wallet addresses, PayPal links, etc.).

Do not pay and do not engage. Block them after preserving evidence.

Report the account to the platform and file a police report. Account hacking combined with extortion is a serious criminal offence.

They're threatening to expose other private information about me

The attacker is threatening to tell your employer, family, or the public something private about you — an affair, medical information, personal secrets, financial situation — unless you pay.

What to do:

Take a step back before reacting. Ask yourself: if this information were actually shared, what would realistically happen? Attackers rely on the fear of exposure far more than the exposure itself. Many victims discover that the actual impact, while painful, is survivable — and far less catastrophic than the ongoing threat and payments.

Screenshot every message and threat. Note any payment details the attacker provided.

Do not pay. Do not negotiate. Each response, even a refusal to pay, confirms your engagement. Go silent, preserve the evidence, then report.

File a report with your local police — blackmail and extortion are criminal offences regardless of what information is being threatened.

Immediate Steps — Apply to All Situations

1. Stop all contact

Stop replying. Every reply — even to say you won’t pay — confirms you’re reading their messages and keeps the conversation going. Go silent.

2. Do NOT delete anything

This is critical and counterintuitive. Do not delete the messages, the account, the images, or any part of the conversation. This is your evidence. Without it, a police report is far harder to file and act on.

3. Take screenshots before blocking

Before you block the attacker, capture:

All messages and threats
Their profile page (username, bio, profile picture)
Any payment addresses or links they sent (PayPal, cryptocurrency wallet addresses, gift card requests)
The date and time of messages if visible

Then block them on every platform where they have contacted you.

4. Do not pay — even a small amount

Even a token payment signals you will pay. It does not end the threats. It starts them.

5. Tell someone you trust

Isolation is what blackmailers count on. Telling a trusted friend, family member, or professional breaks the cycle of shame and fear they are trying to create. You do not have to face this alone.

Report to the Platform

Every major platform has a reporting mechanism for blackmail and extortion. Use it — platforms act quickly on these reports and will typically suspend the attacker’s account.

When reporting, select the most specific option available: “blackmail”, “extortion”, “sexual exploitation”, or “threats”. Include screenshots if the platform allows attachments.

Contact the Police — This Is Mandatory

Online blackmail is a crime. It does not matter whether the attacker is in another country, whether you feel embarrassed about what happened, or whether you think “nothing has actually happened yet.”

Contact your local police and file a report. Bring:

Screenshots of all messages and threats
Any payment details the attacker provided
The platform where contact was made
Usernames, email addresses, or phone numbers used by the attacker

The police report creates an official record. This record may be needed for insurance, employer notification, platform escalation, or legal action — even if the police cannot immediately locate the attacker.

Also report to your national cybercrime centre — most countries have one with an online submission form.

Get Support

Being blackmailed is a deeply distressing experience. Many victims feel shame, panic, or hopelessness — these are normal reactions to an abnormal situation caused entirely by another person’s criminal behaviour.

Talking to someone helps. Options include:

A trusted friend or family member
A therapist or counsellor
Crisis text lines and victim support organisations in your country

You do not have to manage this alone, and reaching out is not a sign of weakness — it is a practical step that makes everything easier to handle.

Prevention Checklist

Be cautious about sharing intimate images with anyone online — even people you trust
Use strong, unique passwords on all accounts (use our password generator)
Enable two-factor authentication on email and social media
Keep your devices and accounts secure so private content cannot be stolen
Be sceptical of new online contacts who quickly become intensely romantic or personal — this is a common manipulation tactic
Know that this can happen to anyone — awareness is your best protection