If someone is threatening to leak my nudes, what are the steps you should take in order to stop the blackmailer dead in their tracks? You may have sent someone an intimate image or video on a social media app. And now this blackmailer is threatening to share your images with your friends and family. This is the most common form of sextortion.
This is what blackmailers and an ex will do is, they threaten to share your pic with the world if they have anything on you.
Now they want you to pay money or they will not delete the intimate image from the web. And you are not sure what to do. Do you report image based abuse? Do you take legal action?
This whole situation can leave you feeling overwhelmed and you are not sure what to do. This is abuse called sexual extortion. All you know is you don’t want any intimate images or any nude image of you shared online you will have to recover from.
Always keep your privacy in mind so you don’t risk your life on the net. Harassment demands are real and cases rack up daily, no matter what the age. Criminals run rampant online with many risks. Thousands of youth fall for these sextortion scams every day. Do not trust just anyone you meet on a social platform.
Your First Steps with Helplines Free and Confidential
The very first thing you need to do is take a deep breath. Next, realize there is a company who can help you regain control of the situation.
Digital Investigation can help you. Call and we will talk to you for free.
We help people throughout the world with blackmail situations every single day. And we have an extremely good success rate. We make the blackmailers go away and stop the whole process.
Is This Abuse or Revenge Porn
Another way nudes can be shared online is by an ex called revenge porn. Many times they want to get revenge on someone they dated and they do this by sharing a nude or intimate image. People should think twice when they are with someone and take nude or partly naked photos.
The problem is many times these nudes are shared online and then you have them trying to blackmail you. They may threaten to share your nudes with friends or coworkers, which is very embarrassing.
Will The Blackmailer Follow Through
Experts estimate that people who blackmail will follow through about 45% of the time. This is totally dependent on the fact that they actually have something on you, like real pics. So, if they really do have images from you, you need to take it as a serious threat. But always remember to never pay the blackmailer.
How They Get Your Pictures & Information
Believe it or now, there are many times people have no idea how someone got their pictures they are being blackmailed with. The only ways someone can get your pics are if:
- You share them online with others
- They break into your computer
- Or they create fake images
So there really is only a handful of ways someone obtains your images. This is why its important to never share your nudes online with anyone.
Will Your Pics End Up On The Dark Web?
The honest answer to this question is no one really knows for sure. However if you work with a company who can scan the dark web they may be able to help somewhat.
How To Protect Yourself
There are ways you can protect yourself on the internet and from anyone getting your pictures. Many people in their youth are falling for these scams and become victims.
- Limit who you share images with
- Secure your computer and any photo or video
- Secure all your social media platform accounts
Reporting To Law Enforcement
You will want to report the threat especially if the criminal gained access to your things and is now threatening to post your pics and or videos. If it’s an ex boyfriend threatening to release your nude pics, many states have laws against such acts.
Just save any evidence you have for when you go to the police station. They will ask for it. Remember the police are very matter of fact and want to see things or actions that back up the stories being told.
Report to the Social Media Site
One thing you will want to do is report this scammer to the social media site you met them on. Many social sites have a simple report feature so use it. And in short never share a nude again on social media. They will start investigating image based abuse.
Saving All The Evidence
If you do fall victim to these scams, then save everything. This includes every screenshot, email messages and all communication. Having all of this information will be handy incase law enforcement or anyone else wants to see your case.
Did You Get an Email Out Of the Blue?
If you received an email from out of nowhere from someone telling you they have info or pics and will share them with the world. Chances are pretty good they are lying. This is another type of scam where they get a hold of an email list and send scam emails to people. They may even claim they have a person nude or partly nude.
Sextortionists claim to get rich from sending fake emails to people. If they do send you something to show you they have something against you they are usually fake nudes, naked selfies.
Locking Things Down
One of the most important things you can do is to tighten security. Secure your computer, phone and more. This way no one can get into your accounts and share a nude image or video.
Getting Help
When someone threatens to leak my nudes, hire a company you can count on for help. Digital Investigation can help you find the scammer and stop them in their tracks. We have the experience to locate the scammer and win back justice for you. We help you regain your privacy and bring peace for you and your family. We are the support system for you.
Never Just Blindly Share Your Pictures
You’ve had a bad experience and have learned a very valuable lesson. It seems this may have cost you your dignity. But this too will pass before you even know it. Just take care to never trust anyone. There are many people out there that mean you harm. Cybercrime danger is all over the world. If you have children make sure you have a conversation with them and make sure their privacy settings are set to high.
References:
1. https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/what-is-sextortion/view
2. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2021/01/13/the-state-of-online-harassment/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenge_porn
4. https://www.keepersecurity.com/blog/2023/06/28/deep-web-vs-dark-web-whats-the-difference/
5. https://www.ic3.gov/
