Blackmail and extortion guidelines

You or someone you know is threatened? Here are recommended steps for victims of sextortion or blackmailing :

• 1. Preserve evidence if possible: Save messages and record any communication related to the incident. This evidence can be valuable for legal purposes and reporting the crime.
• 2. Stop all communication: Discontinue any interaction with the extortionist and block them on all platforms to prevent further manipulation or harassment. If they have been communicating on an app, there should be built-in tools to block and report the user. 
• 3. Do not pay any money or meet any further demands: Although paying the blackmailer may seem a good way to stop the extortion, they will likely continue to ask for more payments or further demands.
• 4. Report the incident: Contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at tips.fbi.gov. and provide them with the evidence and details of the sextortion incident. They can investigate and assist victims of crime.
• 5. Have your images removed: StopNCII.org is a tool for adults 18 and over that works to generate ‘hashes’ from your images and videos – think of them as unique digital fingerprints for your exact image or video. Duplicate copies of the image all have the exact same hash properties. StopNCII then shares the hash with participating companies (including Facebook, TikTok, Instagram etc.) so they can help detect and remove the images from being shared on these platforms. For minors, Take It Down is a similar service to remove explicit images and videos taken before you were 18 from the internet.
• 6. Reach out for emotional support - being targeted by these blackmailers can be a distressing and upsetting experience, we encourage those affected to reach out and speak to trusted friends and family, or emotional support services, about how this has made you feel.

Finally - remember - this is not your fault. The person trying to blackmail or sexually extort you is the one who is in the wrong.