Sextortion: what to do in the next hour
Someone is threatening to share intimate images unless you pay. You are not alone and it is not your fault. Don't pay, don't keep replying, save the evidence, and use free takedown tools. Help is available right now.
Do these 3 things in the next 10 minutes
- Stop replying and do not pay — payment leads to more demands.
- Screenshot the threats, profile and payment details as evidence.
- Report the account on the platform, then block it.
Then work through the full plan below.
Do right now
· Within minutesDo NOT pay the blackmailer — paying guarantees they will ask for more.
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Never send money, gift cards, or crypto to the extortionist. Paying does not make them go away — it marks you as a profitable target and they will immediately demand more. Most blackmailers move on quickly when they realize no money is coming.
Stop all communication — do not negotiate, threaten, or plead.
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Stop responding immediately. Do not threaten the blackmailer, do not beg, and do not announce that you are going to the police. Just go silent.
Block the account, but do NOT delete the chat or the app — preserve everything for law enforcement.
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Block the blackmailer on Snapchat / Instagram / wherever they contacted you. Do not delete the app, the chat history, the account, or the images on the device. Investigators need usernames, message history, and metadata to identify the predator. Take screenshots of profiles and messages as backup.
- 🇿🇦 ZA
If you or anyone is in immediate danger, call SAPS on 10111. Section 16 of the Cybercrimes Act, 2020 makes the malicious disclosure of intimate images a specific statutory offence — this is a crime, not a private problem.
- 🇮🇪 IE
Report to the Gardaí at your local station. Under Coco's Law, sharing or threatening to share an intimate image without consent is a crime carrying up to seven years — and victims are entitled to anonymity.
Do today
· Within hours- 🇺🇸 US
If the victim is a minor, report to the NCMEC CyberTipline — the central hub for child exploitation cases.
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NCMEC handles these cases every day and coordinates with the FBI and local law enforcement. Calling them directly often helps diffuse the panic — staff are trained to walk families through exactly what happens next.
- 🇨🇦 CA
If the victim is a minor, report sextortion to Cybertip.ca — Canada's national tipline for child exploitation.
- 🇺🇸 US
If you are an adult victim, report to the FBI at IC3.gov and to the FTC.
- 🇨🇦 CA
If you are an adult victim in Canada, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and your local police.
Use NCMEC's 'Take It Down' (under 18) or StopNCII.org (adults) to stop the images from spreading.
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Both tools create a digital fingerprint (a 'hash') of the explicit image on your device — you never have to upload the photo. Major platforms (Meta, Snapchat, TikTok, OnlyFans, Pornhub, Reddit and others) use that hash to automatically detect and block the image if the blackmailer tries to post it.
Report the blackmailer's account inside the app where they made contact.
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On Snapchat, report the account and select 'They leaked / are threatening to leak my nudes'. This routes the report to Snap's Trust & Safety team, who can preserve evidence for law enforcement and ban the device. Instagram, TikTok, and Discord have similar dedicated reporting paths.
- 🇿🇦 ZA
Use the universal takedown tools — both work in South Africa and create the image fingerprint on your device, so the photo itself never leaves your phone.
- 🇿🇦 ZA
Report to SAPS Cybercrime and, for under-18 victims, contact Childline SA on 116 (free, 24/7).
- 🇿🇦 ZA
For adult emotional support, call LifeLine SA on 0861 322 322 or SADAG on 0800 567 567 — both are 24/7 and free.
- 🇮🇪 IE
Report the content to hotline.ie — send links only, never the images themselves.
- 🇮🇪 IE
For support: Samaritans 116 123 (24/7), Text About It (text TALK to 50808), and for under-18s Childline 1800 66 66 66.
Do this week
· Within daysLock down privacy settings on every social account so the blackmailer can't reach friends or family.
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Blackmailers usually scrape the victim's friends list to use as leverage ('I will send these to everyone you know'). On Snapchat, turn off Quick Add and enable Ghost Mode on the Snap Map. Set Instagram and TikTok accounts to private, remove unknown followers, and disable message requests from non-followers.
Get emotional support — the psychological impact is severe and the blackmailer is the only one who did anything wrong.
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If the victim is a child: reassure them constantly that they are safe, you love them, and the predator — not them — committed a crime. Do not punish them. The Crisis Text Line (text HOME to 741741) is available 24/7. For adult victims, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (cybercivilrights.org) offers a free crisis helpline.
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Is this happening at work?
If a business account, company device or customer data is involved, the steps change. Get help built for organizations.