I’m a 19-year-old, fresh into college, and I’ve never thought my life would be what it is today. My goal in high school has always been to get good grades and focus on getting into my dream college, which I thankfully did. Even though I prioritize school, I’m still 19 and like to have fun. I typically hang out with my friends, play sports, and go out.
I have to admit that I am obsessed with social media (like most of the world), so I’m always online on popular platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. I’m single, so not only do I use social media to stay in touch with family and friends, but I also have a chance to meet someone new.
One day, out of the blue, I received a friend request on Facebook from a beautiful girl. Based on looks alone, I accepted her. I was curious, so I looked at her profile and liked what I saw. Like me, Brittany seemed like an outgoing and friendly person who liked sports and going out with friends.
Before I could reach out, she slid into my Facebook messenger and introduced herself. I was shocked because girls typically don’t make the first move. Her message was flirtatious, calling me cute and asking how I was doing. We messaged back and forth, getting to know each other. The conversation was friendly, with some innocent flirtation the first few days. But things turned more sexual the longer we talked.
It’s awkward to admit, but in my generation, sexting is common, which is why it wasn’t surprising to me when the messages turned more sexual. After talking for a few days on Facebook, Brittany gave me her phone number to keep the conversation going through text.
That is when things really changed. Once she had my number, she was sending more explicit text messages. She started to push for photos and videos, but when I asked her to Facetime, she always came up with an excuse that she couldn’t, claiming her camera was damaged or she was too busy. She would send selfies instead, so I didn’t think anything of it.
Everything changed one night. I received a text from Brittany around 11 p.m. asking what I was doing.
The conversation quickly turned sexual, and she asked for a nude photo of myself. If I am being completely honest, I have sexted before and sent images, so this was nothing new to me. To get me to give in, she sent an explicit photo of herself first.
Lust took over, and I gave in and sent her a nude photo of myself. Soon after, I received a paragraph explaining that she screenshotted my photo and would expose me to my Facebook friends if I didn’t send her 5,000 dollars.
I immediately went into panic mode and started begging her not to post my photo online. She ignored me and kept threatening to ruin my life. She sent me multiple screenshots of my entire Facebook friend list and pictures of my parents’ profiles. She said she would send it to every account and explain how my reputation would be ruined. I can’t explain the fear and panic I experienced.
I broke out in sweats and even became nauseous at the thought of all of my friends and family seeing me exposed and vulnerable. I honestly didn’t think things could get worse until she sent me my university’s social pages and information. She said that my friends and family would see my photos, and so would my school.
She was committed to ruining my life if I didn’t do exactly what she said. So many things were running through my mind. I thought about how these pictures could ruin everything for me, especially school. I worked so hard to get into my university. I would be crushed if I were to be expelled. Would my school even be upset? I wasn’t thinking straight; everything seemed like it was ending for me.
I tried explaining that I was a broke college student and didn’t have 5,000 to give her. She didn’t like that and kept demanding money. After continuously trying to explain that I didn’t have that type of money, she insisted I send her what I could afford. I hoped she would go away, realizing she wouldn’t get much out of me, but that didn’t happen. I even dropped the price to 300; she was still adamant about getting the money. She would take anything. I felt hopeless, so I gave in and sent her the money. As soon as that was done, I blocked her Facebook account and phone number, hoping the nightmare ended.
Soon after, I received a message from another Facebook account, and it was the blackmailer. She was threatening and harassing me, telling me why I had blocked her and that she wasn’t finished with me yet. I then received a text from a new number from the blackmailer.
Now, I knew I couldn’t get away from her that easily. She had backup accounts and phone numbers and continued threatening to leak my photos until I paid her more money. 300 was a lot for me, and I had nothing else.
She even went to great lengths to D.M. my friends, saying “hey,” but it was a way to show me she was serious about sending off my pictures.
This lasted a few days, and I couldn’t handle it anymore. Her daily threats were consistent, and I couldn’t afford to send more money. I needed a fast resolution, so I took to the internet and came across Digital Investigation. This company was able to take over communication and conduct an investigation.
I didn’t have to respond to the blackmailer’s messages and left everything in Digital Investigations’ hands. Trusting someone else to handle such a dangerous and scary situation was difficult, but the analysts ensured I was in good hands. The results I received were shocking!
They uncovered my blackmailer’s identity, a man from the Philippines. They captured his I.D. and location and obtained proof that my photos were deleted and out of his hands. The blackmailer also agreed to leave me alone, and D.I. made sure to explain that authorities had been contacted and would be alerted if the harassment continued.
I am beyond relieved to be done with this terrifying situation. I still made a police report to document the crime, but since the blackmailer resides in the Philippines, it’s difficult for the police to get a conviction. I am so glad that Digital Investigation could help me stop the harassment. I finally feel like I can get back to my life. I hope my story helps other victims or shows people to be more cautious when meeting new people online.
