After what you thought was a mutually fun and salacious conversation, you are now bombarded with threats of exposing your nude pictures to your Facebook friends. This is what is called online sextortion, and you have unfortunately fallen victim to its conniving scheme. Although this crime should come with seriousness and urgency, it’s essential to stay calm and know there is a way to handle it and end the threats. This blog will provide tips and steps on what to do if someone is threatening to post pictures of you on Facebook.
Is it a crime to threaten someone on Facebook?
Nowadays, social media platforms like Facebook have opened up an entirely new world of communication and interaction. While it has undoubtedly brought people together, it is also important to recognize that it can be weaponized and used to spread negativity, violence, and hate. This is why it is reassuring to know that threatening someone on Facebook is indeed considered a crime.
Threats can cause tremendous fear, anxiety, and distress, and the law reflects this. Someone who threatens to expose another individual’s nude pictures can be charged with blackmail, extortion, cyberstalking, cyber harassment, and the list goes on and on. Ultimately, if you feel that someone has crossed a line, it is essential to report it to the appropriate authorities.
What do I do if someone is blackmailing me on Facebook?
If someone is blackmailing you on Facebook, you should take immediate action against them. This does not mean sending aggressive and threatening messages back! That will only amplify the situation and make your blackmailer follow through with their threats. Instead, try and implement these tips we provide our clients who have successfully taken back control of the situation:
Do not give in to the demands of your blackmailer. This will only encourage them to threaten you for more and more money.
Take as many screenshots of any telling evidence your blackmailer shares. This includes names, phone numbers, email addresses, money transfer apps (Venmo, PayPal, etc.), and more.
If your Facebook account isn’t private already, switch your account to private and delete/hide any telling information you share about yourself on your profile.
Report the account and threats to Facebook. They take harassment very seriously and will conduct their internal investigation. This is ultimately up to you, but we have had victims of Facebook sextortion create a post to notify their loved ones and followers that they are being targeted for online harassment and to avoid connecting with said harasser. This allows your followers to help get your harasser’s Facebook account removed and notify them to avoid any messages they might receive.
Report the crime to your local authorities. It’s likely that they might not be of much help since the harassment is online, and they may not have a cybercrime team. However, reporting the crime and having it documented is critical. You can also report the crime to the following:
- Cyber Civil Rights Initiative
- FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center
- NCMEC Take it Down
- Federal Trade Commission
You can also report the crime to cyber security experts such as us. We can help you report the crime and gather evidence. As cyber security experts, we aim to uncover illegal activities and provide information to you and the authorities. We’ll even help identify the blackmailers’ location and IP addresses. Don’t suffer in silence – we’re here to support you.
Someone is threatening to post pictures of me on Facebook – how can I stop them
Sextortion on Facebook is hard to deal with but can be dealt with. Remember that you are a victim of a crime, and you have the right to report these criminals to the appropriate authorities to put an end to it. The best thing you can do is implement strong Facebook settings and avoid giving in to the demands of your blackmailer. Don’t let your blackmailer silence you! Reach out to sextortion helplines, which can help you learn how to deal with Facebook sextortion so you can overcome this the right way.
