WhatsApp is among the three widely successful social media platforms Meta owns, including Facebook and Instagram. However, with success also come some setbacks. WhatsApp, including its other successful social platforms, is being used as a weapon for cybercriminals to carry out cybercrimes, such as sextortion. In order to stop sextortion on WhatsApp, victims must understand what it involves and how to prevent them. This blog will provide tips on how to stop WhatsApp sextortion scam and what steps to take to ensure you report the crime to get the right help you need.
Will blackmailers go away if you ignore them?
When it comes to blackmailers, it’s understandable to want to ignore them. After all, why engage with someone who is trying to emotionally manipulate and extort you? However, in most cases, simply ignoring a blackmailer won’t make them go away. In fact, it could lead to them escalating their tactics and potentially causing even more harm.
Typically, with WhatsApp sextortion, scammers aim to start a connection with victims through social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook before they move communication over to WhatsApp. This ploy allows scammers to collect as much personal information they can find on the profiles of their target, including family and friends, place of work, phone number, and other relevant details that can be used against them.
If ignored, perpetrators may release sensitive content of victims to loved ones and refuse to stop until their demands are met. Therefore, it’s essential to take prompt action against this type of blackmail. Seeking help from professionals or legal experts can help victims regain control and deal with the situation effectively. Remember, no one deserves to be blackmailed, and seeking help is always the first step toward ending it.
Whom to report WhatsApp sextortion scam?
WhatsApp does not allow harassment of any kind and takes threats seriously. So, if you are receiving harassing and threatening WhatsApp messages, it’s critical that you report the abuse to the platform so they can take appropriate action.
Per WhatsApp’s Help Center, here is how you can report and block contacts:
To block on an Android:
Block a contact
- Open WhatsApp, tap More options > Settings.
- Tap Privacy > Blocked contacts.
- Tap Add
- Search for or select the contact you want to block.
More ways to block a contact:
- Open a chat with the contact, then tap More > Block > Block. You can also report the contact by tapping Report contact > Block.
- Open a chat with the contact, then tap the name of the contact > Block > Block.
Block an unknown phone number
- Open the WhatsApp chat with the unknown phone number.
- Tap Block. You can also report the contact by tapping Report contact > Block.
To block on an iPhone:
Block a contact
- Open WhatsApp Settings > Privacy > Blocked > Add New…
- Find the contact you want to block, then tap the contact.
More ways to block a contact:
- Open the chat with the contact, then tap the contact’s name > Block Contact > Block or Report Contact > Report and Block.
- In your Chats tab, swipe the chat left, then tap More > Contact Info > Block Contact > Block or Report Contact > Report and Block.
Block an unknown phone number
To block an unknown phone number, you have two options:
- If this is the first time you’ve been contacted by that phone number, you can open the chat and tap Block > Block.
- Open the chat with that phone number, then tap the phone number > Block Contact > Block or Report Contact > Report and Block.
On top of reporting the crime to WhatsApp, we advise victims to document the abuse and report cyber crime to the authorities. WhatsApp Sextortion Scam is a serious crime and should be handled by experts.
Conclusion
Online sextortion is becoming more common these days, and people must be aware of the crime and how to take care of themselves if they find themselves victims. Documenting evidence and reporting it to the platform where the abuse began is essential. Victims should also confide in the authorities and cyber experts so that they can form strong allies to help them overcome this difficult time. Don’t let your harassers maintain power; get the help you need and fight back today!
