what to do if youre being blackmailed online

Dealing with cyberspace blackmail tin can be stressful, embarrassing, and scary. If you are wondering how to bargain with blackmail y'all accept multiple legal options on your side. Blackmail is confronting the law – no matter where you live. While you may be hesitant to reach out for help, it is important to contact the regime and seek the advice of a legal professional person.

Hither are actionable steps you should take if you are dealing with bribery:

1. Resist the urge to engage with the blackmailer;
2. Exercise non endeavour to negotiate or pay the ransom;
3. Preserve all communications and evidence;
4. Enlist support from a trusted person to document the evidence;
5. Adjust your online privacy settings;
6. Ready upwardly online alerts;
7. Report the criminal offense to police force enforcement;
8. Talk to an experienced internet attorney.

At Minc Police, we help victims of blackmail, extortion, and revenge porn foreclose and respond to online threats. From investigating anonymous perpetrators to removing unwanted and negative online content, nosotros are here to aid.

In this comprehensive guide to online extortion, we will answer the most common questions most bribery. We volition provide a land-by-country breakdown of relevant blackmail statutes and provide actionable tips for preventing and dealing with blackmail.

What is the Definition of Bribery?

Most people sympathize bribery as someone threatening to practise or reveal something negative unless you give them money. While that definition is fairly authentic, the legal definition of blackmail is slightly more complex.

What is the Legal Definition of Blackmail?

As a criminal crime, bribery is the criminal offence of threatening to reveal damaging information about a person unless payment or some other benefit is received. In some cases, the perpetrator seeks favors other than money, such as sexual favors or other benefits to gain power over their victim.

Bribery occurs when someone threatens to reveal humiliating or harmful information unless they are compensated in some mode. It is important to note that the crime occurs when the threat is fabricated – no money or belongings has to change hands. If someone blackmails y'all, they are breaking the police force whether or not yous comply with their demands.

While state laws vary, 18 UsaC. § 873 makes blackmail a federal offense punishable past fine or up to i year of imprisonment. The federal statute defines the crime of blackmail as: "Whoever, under a threat of informing, or as a consideration for not informing, against whatever violation of whatsoever police force of the Usa, demands or receives any coin or other valuable matter, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than than one year, or both."

If y'all think the wording of the federal statute is a little dense and unclear, you are not alone. In the side by side department, I will suspension down each element into simpler terms.

Is Blackmail a Crime? Elements That Demand to Be Established to Testify Bribery

Bribery is a offense, although states refer to the crime under differing names.

New York's Larceny By Extortion Statute

For example, New York refers to blackmail as larceny (theft) past Extortion. New York's Larceny by Extortion statute makes it a law-breaking to "hogtie or induce another person to deliver property" to the extortionist or a third party, by instilling fear in the victim that they will:

• Crusade physical injury,
• Crusade property impairment,
• Engage in criminal conduct,
• Charge a person of a law-breaking,
• Expose a hole-and-corner or publicize a fact that exposes a person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule,
• Crusade a strike, boycott, or other action that harms a person'southward business,
• Testify or withhold testimony with respect to some other's legal claim,
• Use or corruption his position as a public servant, or
• Perform any other human action that is calculated to damage some other person with respect to his health, rubber, business, calling, career, financial status, reputation, or personal relationships.

As you can see, the New York statute goes to great lengths to outline the various threats commonly fabricated by blackmailers.

Ohio'southward Definition of Bribery

In Ohio, bribery is criminalized as extortion under Section 2905.11 of the Ohio Revised Lawmaking. The Ohio statute is a little simpler than New York's, stating that "no person, with the purpose to obtain whatever valuable thing…benefit…or to induce some other to do an unlawful human action, shall:

• Threaten to commit any felony,
• Threaten to commit whatever criminal offense of violence,
• Violate section 2903.21 (aggravated menacing – threatening to crusade harm to the victim or their loved ones) or 2903.22 (menacing) of the Revised Code,
• Utter or threaten any calumny confronting any person, or
• Expose or threaten to betrayal any matter tending to subject any person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, or to impairment any person'due south personal or business repute, or to impair any person's credit.

Wyoming's Blackmail & Aggravated Bribery Statute

Wyoming recognizes the crimes of blackmail, but too recognizes aggravated blackmail as a greater offense, punishable by a minimum of v years in prison house, although the maximum sentence tin be as much as 25 years in prison. In Wyoming, aggravated bribery occurs if a perpetrator causes actual injury to another person in the class of committing blackmail. Wyoming's underlying bribery statute is relatively brusque and uncomplicated:

"A person commits blackmail if, with the intent to obtain property of another or to compel action or inaction past any person against his will if the person: (1) Threatens actual injury or property damage; or (ii) Accuses or threatens to accuse a person of a criminal offence or immoral conduct which would disgrace the person."

Federal Law Definition of Bribery Nether the Hobbs Deed

On the federal level, the Hobbs Act regulates extortion and robbery. To trigger the Hobbs Act, the extortion must affect interstate or strange commerce. This might include threats issued by email or another form of communication across state lines. To testify a violation of the Hobbs Act:

• The defendant must have induced or attempted to induce the victim to give up property,
• The defendant must utilise or attempt to employ the victim'southward reasonable fearfulness of physical injury or economical damage to convince them to requite up property,
• The accused's conduct must actually or potentially obstruct, filibuster, or affect interstate or foreign commerce. This can involve using stolen money to purchase products in other states, interrupting the interstate motility of goods, or hurting an interstate business concern.
• The defendant'south actual or threatened use of force, violence, or fear was wrongful (meaning the accused had no lawful claim to the belongings they are attempting to obtain through extortion).

For more data on each states' blackmail and extortion statutes, here is a list of relevant statutes.

Country	Championship	Statute
Alabama	Extortion	Alabama Criminal Code Department 13A-viii-15
Alaska	Extortion	Alaska Criminal Law xi.41.520
Arizona	Theft by Extortion	Arizona Code 13-1804
Arkansas	Coercion	Arkansas Code 5-13-208
California	Extortion	California Penal Code 518
Colorado	Extortion	Colorado Criminal Code 18-3-207
Connecticut	Extortion	Connecticut Penal Code 53a-119
Delaware	Extortion	2 Delaware Code Section 846
Florida	Extortion	Florida Criminal Code 836.05
Georgia	Theft past Extortion	Georgia Lawmaking Section 16-8-16
Hawaii	Extortion	Hawaii Code Section 707-764
Idaho	Theft past Extortion	Idaho Code xviii-2403
Illinois	Intimidation	Illinois Statutes 720-half-dozen
Indiana	Intimidation	Indiana Code 35-45-2
Iowa	Extortion	Iowa Code 711.four
Kansas	Blackmail	Kansas Statutes 21-5428
Kentucky	Theft by Extortion	Kentucky Statutes 514.080
Louisiana	Extortion	Louisiana Statutes xiv:66
Maine	Theft past Extortion	Maine Criminal Code 15-355
Maryland	Extortion	Maryland Lawmaking three-701
Massachusetts	Attempted Extortion	Massachusetts Laws 265-25
Michigan	Malicious Threats to Extort Coin	Michigan Penal Code 750.213
Minnesota	Coercion	Minnesota Statutes 609.27
Mississippi	Extortion	Mississippi Code 97-3-82
Missouri	Blackmail and Coercion	Missouri Statutes 566.200
Montana	Privacy in Communications	Montana Code 45-8-213
Nebraska	Theft by Extortion	Nebraska Statute 28-513
Nevada	Extortion	Nevada Statute 205.320
New Hampshire	Theft by Extortion	New Hampshire Statute 637:five
New Bailiwick of jersey	Theft by Extortion	New Jersey Statute 2C:xx-5
New Mexico	Extortion	New Mexico Statute 30-16-nine
New York	Larceny by Extortion	New York Penal Law 155.05
North Carolina	Blackmail	N Carolina Code fourteen-118
North Dakota	Theft	N Dakota Code 12.1-23
Ohio	Extortion	Ohio Lawmaking 2905.eleven
Oklahoma	Blackmail	Oklahoma Statutes 21-1488
Oregon	Extortion	Oregon Statutes 164.075
Pennsylvania	Theft by Extortion	Pennsylvania Lawmaking 18-3923
Rhode Isle	Extortion and Blackmail	Rhode Isle General Laws xi-42-ii
Due south Carolina	Blackmail	South Carolina Code 16-17-640
South Dakota	Theft past Threat	South Dakota Code 22-30A-4
Tennessee	Extortion	Tennessee Code 39-fourteen-112
Texas	Theft	Texas Penal Code 31.02
Utah	Theft past Extortion	Utah Code 76-half dozen-406
Vermont	Extortion	Vermont Statutes 13-1701
Virginia	Extortion	Virginia Code 18.2-59
Washington	Extortion	Washington Code 9A:56.110-130
Washington D.C.	Blackmail	D.C. Lawmaking 22-3252
West Virginia	Extortion	West Virginia Code 61-2-thirteen
Wisconsin	Threats to Injure or Accuse of Law-breaking	Wisconsin Statutes 943.thirty
Wyoming	Blackmail	Wyoming Statutes 6-2-402

What is the Difference Between Extortion & Blackmail?

More often than not, the terms, "blackmail" and "extortion" are used interchangeably. In some states, blackmail is a subcategory of extortion. Extortion comes from the Latin discussion, "extortionem" which means "twisting out."

In most states, extortion is the crime of coercing someone to pay or perform a specific act through threats of physical impairment or injury. An extortioner might besides threaten to accuse or reveal data about the victim that is morally reprehensible or would injure the victim's reputation. As a subcategory of extortion, blackmail occurs when the threat involves revealing dissentious private information.

Both extortion and blackmail involve threatening a victim to get something of value. Frequently, both crimes are classified as theft (also referred to equally "larceny"). Some states have combined all of the terms nether a single, consolidated law-breaking of theft. Every bit you can encounter by the list of relevant state statutes in a higher place, the crime of blackmail goes by a variety of different names – but it is almost always considered a grade of theft.

What Actions Constitute Blackmail?

Blackmail always involves threatening to expose something harmful with the goal of getting something in return. If someone threatens to expose something negative or humiliating about you lot in substitution for coin or some other form of favor – they are blackmailing you.

Here are a few common examples of blackmail:

• Hobbs Act blackmail,
• Revenge porn,
• Sextortion,
• Glory blackmail.

Hobbs Human activity Blackmail

A prominent case that involved the federal Hobbs Act was Sekhar v. United States, 133 Southward. Ct. 2720 (2013). The defendant, Giridhar Sekhar, was a managing partner at FA Applied science. The New York Comptroller, who was responsible for New York's state and local authorities pension fund, was because investing in FA Technology. If the Comptroller invested in the company, FA Engineering stood to proceeds around $7.6 million in fees.

While researching the fund, the Comptroller'southward General Counsel was advised by the New York Attorney General that an FA Technology agent was under investigation, so information technology was non wise to invest in the company. Every bit a issue, the Comptroller decided not to invest in the fund.

A few days later, the Comptroller's General Counsel received an email threatening to reveal his extramarital thing if he did not reverse his decision and invest in FA Technology. After several more threatening emails, the FBI was able to trace the source of the emails to FA Applied science's managing partner, Sekhar. Sekhar was charged with extortion under the Hobbs Deed and half-dozen counts of interstate manual of extortionate threats.

Revenge Porn Blackmail

Revenge porn is a form of blackmail where a perpetrator threatens to publish sexually explicit content (oft on revenge porn websites) unless you provide them with coin or other favors. The perpetrators may be former romantic partners who were provided the explicit materials with your consent at a time when you were dating.

According to a 2013 survey past the Cyber Rights Initiative, 90% of the victims of revenge porn are women and 57% of those women were threatened by an ex-boyfriend. Sometimes, explicit materials are obtained through hacking and victims accept a more difficult time determining the truthful identity of their perpetrator.

Occasionally, perpetrators are strangers who lure their victims into providing explicit content online. This blazon of revenge porn is also referred to as sextortion.

Sextortion (Sexual Bribery)

Sextortion is the most common form of blackmail we see in our practice. It is too referred to as webcam blackmail, internet blackmail, cyber harassment, and online extortion. Many states take enacted revenge porn and sextortion-specific statutes, recognizing that this type of criminal offense is occurring more and more than often.

While sextortion statutes differ, information technology is typically divers as a perpetrator threatening to publish explicit content (texts, pictures, videos) unless you comply with their demands. Sadly, there are some sophisticated sextortionists and sextortion rings that defraud multiple victims.

Perpetrators might create a fake persona (catfishing) and persuade their victim to share nude photos or perform sexual acts on a webcam. In one case they obtain the explicit material, they start threatening to expose the content unless they are paid, or more sexual acts are performed. They may fifty-fifty start sending explicit content to friends and family over social media to heighten the victim's fear.

Perpetrators frequently target individuals who they perceive as having the ability to pay every bit well as those who have a reputation to uphold. In 2019 alone, there were 43,101 known victims of extortion who lost a combined $107.5 million to sextortionists.

Celebrity Blackmail

Considering perpetrators oftentimes target those with a reputation to uphold and an power to pay, celebrities are frequent victims of extortion. Hither are just a few examples of the rich and famous facing blackmail:

Cameron Diaz

In 2003, a lensman threatened to sell topless photos and videos of actress Cameron Diaz. The photos were taken when Diaz was 21, years before she came to fame as an extra. Diaz argued that the photographer tried to coerce her into paying him, by threatening to publish the hush-hush explicit content. The photographer was ultimately convicted of attempted g theft, forgery, and perjury.

David Letterman

In 2009, a quondam CBS News producer threatened to reveal late-night television host David Letterman'southward sexual affairs unless he was paid $2 million in "hush money." While Letterman gave in to the extortionist'southward demands, paying the $two 1000000, he contacted the District New York Attorney who filed charges. The perpetrator pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree grand larceny and served half-dozen months in jail.

Jeff Bezos

A recent example involved Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos. In 2019, Bezos accused the National Enquirer and its parent visitor of extortion in a post on the publishing platform, Medium.

Specifically, Bezos alleged that the Enquirer obtained text messages revealing Bezos' relationship with TV anchor Lauren Sanchez. He claimed that when he started looking into how the tabloid obtained those letters, the Enquirer threatened to publish intimate photos of him unless he stopped his investigation.

How You Can Stop Blackmail

If yous are confronted by a blackmailer, you accept legal rights and options. Fortunately, there are a multifariousness of things y'all tin can practice to stop blackmail, although your strategy might differ based on your exact circumstances.

Below, we explicate several tactics you can use to deal with a blackmailer or extortionist.

What Tin You Practise if a Blackmailer Threatens to Expose You?

Whether you are dealing with blackmail, sextortion, or revenge porn it is important to remain as calm as possible. Extortion is inherently stressful by design because the perpetrator is purposely trying to "rattle" you. The more you panic, the greater control the extortionist will accept over the situation.

At all times, remember that you are the victim of a crime, and you have legal options on your side. In the adjacent few sections, we volition explicate actionable tips for combatting blackmail.

Resist the Urge to Appoint With the Blackmailer

The more you engage with a blackmailer, the more influence and control they volition gain over the situation. In fact, blackmailers may take your responses as an indication that yous are an easy victim who volition cavern to their demands. Once they know this, they may make increasingly aggressive demands.

Exercise Not Try to Negotiate or Pay the Ransom

You do not want to negotiate or pay the extortionist for the same reasons you do non want to engage with them.

Negotiating or giving in to their demands simply gives them more power – and they are likely to utilise this power to make fifty-fifty more threats.

Preserve All Communications and Evidence

Before you block a blackmailer, make sure you lot screenshot all communications and whatever relevant show. This might include taking a screenshot of their social media profile picture, every bit well as whatever offensive material they sent you.

Using your phone's screenshot feature or your estimator'south snipping tool (Ctrl + PrtScr) yous can preserve relevant show for free. If you are looking for a more than advanced tool for preserving prove, Visualping and Page Vault are effective alternatives.

While some of the bear witness might seem embarrassing, it could be tangible testify that volition aid your cause. By deleting valuable evidence, it will be much harder (if non impossible) for law enforcement or an attorney to aid you.

Enlist Support From a Trusted Person to Document the Evidence

Some extortionists will effort to merits that y'all have tampered with bear witness once law enforcement is involved.

The best manner to overcome this claim is by having another trusted source (like a friend or family unit member) preserve evidence as well. This is a useful "back-upwardly" measure that volition further strengthen your example and perchance abnegate an extortionist'southward defenses.

Adjust Your Online Privacy Settings

Privacy is always important online, but it becomes especially significant when you lot are battling blackmail. Nearly social media sites enable you to set your profile to "individual" and block other profiles.

Not just should you maximize privacy settings on all of your social media accounts, but you may as well want to cake the perpetrator besides. Make sure yous preserve all relevant evidence before yous cake a perpetrator – because yous might lose admission to their profile data afterwards you block them.

Fix Online Alerts

There is a simple and straightforward process for setting up Google Alerts for whatever posts that mention your proper name.

After creating a Google Alert, you will receive an electronic mail anytime someone posts new material that mentions your name (or whatever keywords y'all wish to follow). This could help you promptly place whatsoever compromising material posted past the blackmailer.

Study the Offense to Law Enforcement

Well-nigh all forms of blackmail and extortion violate the law. Depending on your specific circumstances, the perpetrator may even be breaking several laws.

Law enforcement agencies tin investigate your case and printing criminal charges against the blackmailer.

Talk to an Experienced Cyberspace Attorney

In addition to contacting law enforcement, it is wise to consult with an experienced internet attorney. Internet law is highly nuanced and can exist complicated to understand.

One of the chief reasons for working with an internet chaser is to prevent sensitive, private content from being released in the first place. They are besides able to put an firsthand end to blackmail and threats so that you tin motility forward with your life.

An experienced internet attorney can also help you uncover the identity of an anonymous blackmailer, remove damaging online content, and work with law enforcement agencies to strengthen your case. Finally, cyberspace lawyers can sue extortionists and online harassers for budgetary damages for the hurting and suffering they cause.

Do Blackmailers Follow Through on Their Threats?

One of the about common questions victims of extortion ask is whether blackmailers really follow through with their threats. It may be empowering to know that many extortionists never follow through with their threats because they lose leverage once they practise.

Some sophisticated perpetrators besides know that following through with their threats may alert law enforcement to their activities – ending their illegal money-making scheme.

Notwithstanding, some blackmailers practise follow through – then threats should e'er be taken seriously. This means you will desire to seek professional advice and contact appropriate authorities if yous are being blackmailed, but do not requite in to their demands.

One thing is for sure: blackmailers will never stop demanding money from yous if y'all give in to their threats.

For more information on blackmailers and sextortionists following through on their threats, and what the follow-through would look like, brand certain to read our article by attorney Andrew Stebbins tackling 'Do Sextortionists Follow Through?', or sentinel the comprehensive video below by Caput Paralegal, Darcy Buxton.

Video: What Are the Chances a Sextortionist Releases My Intimate Images & Videos?

Watch

What Are Your Legal Options if Yous Take Been Blackmailed?

When you are blackmailed, y'all have both legal options for dealing with the threat and other non-legal resources.

Who Can You Contact to Aid You Bargain With Blackmail?

Many victims of blackmail feel embarrassed about their situation and fright talking to anyone else about the threats. Remember: you practise not take to suffer solitary. You lot should confide in someone you trust and seek the help of professionals who can put a stop to the threats.

Blackmailers rely on your fear to pressure you lot into doing things. Confiding in others can be an empowering process – particularly when constabulary enforcement and regime tin can accuse the perpetrator with a law-breaking.

Reach Out to an Experienced Bribery Attorney

Contact an experienced cyberspace chaser to determine the best strategy for confronting your blackmailer. Since blackmail tin be both a criminal and civil offense, you take several legal options at your disposal. An attorney tin aid you lot figure out which options are in your all-time interest, given your state of affairs.

They tin can also serve equally a confidant and trusted source of advice equally you deal with the stress of blackmail. An attorney can also help you remove whatever explicit content that has been published without your consent.

For instance, Google has a streamlined process for reporting and removing intimate images. If the blackmailer posts explicit content to a revenge porn website, y'all can usually go that removed as well.

For more information near removing content from revenge porn websites, cheque out our detailed weblog post 'How to Permanently Remove Content From Revenge Porn Websites'.

Contact Your Local Law Enforcement

Once you preserve and assemble as much relevant show as possible, y'all should written report the offense to your local police. Police force enforcement officers are trained and able to investigate crimes and may even be able to find more than information than you were able to obtain on your own.

For example, if you are dealing with an anonymous blackmailer, police force may exist able to help you uncover their identity. Local constabulary, in conjunction with your district attorney's function, are the but government that can accuse the perpetrator with a crime, and so you should involve them equally soon as possible.

If for whatever reason, your local police are unwilling or unable to help with your situation, you should contact an experienced cyberspace attorney. An internet attorney might help you gather the data needed to go the local police force involved or they can file a ceremonious merits on your behalf.

While a civil case, alone, volition not outcome in jail fourth dimension for a perpetrator, it could lead to the removal of negative online content. You lot may as well be able to recover monetary damages for the damage caused past the blackmailer.

File a Complaint With the FBI's Net Crime Complaint Eye

The FBI has an Internet Offense Complaint Center (IC3) that tracks suspected criminal action that occurs online. The IC3 is a great option for victims to report whatsoever form of online fraud, not only blackmail and extortion.

Once the IC3 receives a complaint, they review the information and forwards it to advisable local, state, and federal government. In some circumstances, they volition also frontwards information to international police force enforcement bodies.

Farther Resources For Assistance & Support When Dealing With Blackmail

Since extortion can exist a federal crime nether the Hobbs Act, you may want to report sextortion or blackmail to your local FBI field function. If you have any reason to believe your blackmailer is in or from a foreign country, you tin can reach out to the International Criminal Police force Organization (INTERPOL).

If the victim is a minor (or was a pocket-sized at the time explicit content was created), a blackmailer faces significant criminal repercussions. Whatsoever form of kid pornography should exist reported at CyberTipline.org and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Well-nigh social media websites also provide ways to report blackmail through their platform. Blackmail threats received over electronic mail tin can also be reported to the appropriate service provider through these links:

• Gmail
• ProtonMail
• Outlook
• Yahoo! Mail
• AOL Post

What is the Maximum Punishment For Blackmail or Extortion?

Each state and the federal government punish blackmail differently. In most cases, blackmail and extortion are felonies and carry a penalty including imprisonment. Some states differentiate between degrees of extortion – with blackmail involving bodily damage punished severely.

Here are some examples of how unlike states punish blackmailers:

• Ohio – Extortion is a 3rd-caste felony punishable by 1 to v years in prison and/or a fine upward to $10,000.
• New York – Larceny past extortion sentences depend on the value of the property involved and whether violence has occurred. At a minimum, blackmail is a class "E" felony with a potential judgement of up to 4 years.
• Texas – Extortion falls under theft and penalties vary based on the value of the property stolen among several other factors. At a minimum, a conviction can lead to prison time, fines, or both.

What Are Possible Legal Defenses Against Extortion or Blackmail?

At that place are several means that someone accused of blackmail may effort to defend themselves. The nearly mutual defenses raised in extortion or blackmail cases are:

Insufficient Evidence

Information technology is imperative to preserve all communications with the blackmailer so they will not succeed on an insufficient evidence claim.

Likewise, extortionists may try to argue that testify was obtained illegally, similar an illegal seizure, interrogation, or coercion.

Lack of Intent

Both blackmail and extortion must be intentional, pregnant the perpetrator must knowingly threaten and induce fear in exchange for something of value.

Proof of Incapacity, Insanity, or Intoxication

This defense is similar to a lack of intent, where a defendant claims that they did non fully know what they were doing because of a developmental or mental disability, or intoxication.

Statute of Limitations

Every jurisdiction has a different statute of limitations for bribery, which is a limit on how long you can look to file a lawsuit or press charges.

Ownership Over the Property

If a defendant proves that they were just request for the return of property that was lawfully theirs in the beginning place, they will probable overcome an allegation of bribery.

Absence of Threat, Force, or Fearfulness

A defendant may effort to claim that they never threatened the victim, coerced them, or intended to induce fear to defend against blackmail charges.

Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself From Blackmail

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! If you are concerned about the growing problem of internet blackmail and extortion, there are steps yous can take to protect yourself.

Here are some tips everyone can use to protect themselves from blackmail:

Avoid Random Friend Requests on Social Media

Be skeptical of friend requests and direct messages from people yous do non know.

Many strangers are actually catfishing or pretending to be someone they are not to get something out of you lot.

Maximize Your Social Media Security Settings

Social media websites allow you to adapt your profile'south security. On Facebook, for instance, you can arrange your profile so that only friends of friends can run into your profile, or it tin can fifty-fifty be more restrictive.

We recommend setting all social media accounts at the highest level of privacy and using strong passwords for each site.

Look Out For Red Flags That Someone is Not Who They Claim to Be

Cherry flags that indicate you might be dealing with a imitation persona include:

• A reluctance to show their confront,
• Few friends or interactions on their profile,
• Outlandish stories (oft too practiced to be true),
• Requests for coin, and a
• Blitz into highly sexualized linguistic communication and overtures.

Do Non Disclose Personal Information As well Quickly

Blackmailers attempt to get personal "dirt" on their victims equally quickly as possible. This is the main office of their whole scheme!

Protect your privacy by adjusting settings on your social media profiles and be careful not to reveal personal information to those yous do non know very well.

Block Your Webcam

Webcam hacking is a real (and scary) matter. One of the simplest ways to protect yourself against this invasion of privacy is to identify a sticker over your webcam on your calculator. This way, fifty-fifty a sophisticated hacker will not exist able to spy on your activities.

Practise Not Share Explicit Content

Assume that any sexually explicit video, images, or "sexts" you send to someone can and volition be used against you. Sadly, even romantic partners who you trust enough to share intimate images with might later utilize the content to hurt you.

In today'south digital historic period, the dangers of sexting carry severe consequences, so the best way to foreclose explicit content from getting shared without your consent is to refrain from sharing this content in the first place.

For farther reading protecting yourself against blackmail and sextortion, check out the following blog posts: 'How to Avert Webcam Sextortion Scams During COVID-19' and 'What to Exercise If You Are the Victim of Facebook Sextortion', 'Someone is Threatening to Mail service a Video About Me On Facebook'.

How Seriously Should Yous Take Blackmail & Cyber Extortion?

We mentioned above that many blackmailers do non follow through (because they lose their leverage in doing so). But this does non mean you should ignore an extortionist's threats.

You should always have blackmail very seriously because it is a crime. And chances are, if the perpetrator is willing to pause the law to blackmail you, they volition repeat their behavior with you and others.

Across that, the damage acquired by blackmailers is very real. Leaked content can damage your reputation, career, and personal life. It can also lead to actual injury in some of the most severe cases. In a word, blackmail is always serious – and you should involve people who tin can assist.

Notice Out How Minc Law Tin Help Stop Blackmail & Hold Blackmailers Liable

The experienced cyberspace attorneys at Minc Law know how to concur blackmailers answerable for their criminal deportment. Our firm likewise puts an immediate end to blackmail and threats so victims can move forrad from the trauma of extortion.

Nosotros apply an extensive arsenal of online investigative services and tools to prevent the release of sensitive information and media, help victims identify anonymous blackmailers, and subsequently monitor the internet for future attacks.

★★★★★

"If you find yourself in an unfortunate sexploitation situation, I highly recommend Minc Laws services. Andrew worked my case and did an splendid job. Equally before long as he took my case he made me experience at ease and laid out the plan of activeness. There is no better feeling than knowing someone has your dorsum when something like this occurs."

CJ, January nineteen, 2021

To schedule a free consultation to determine the best strategy to answer to online blackmail, sextortion. extortion, or revenge porn, phone call u.s.a. at (216) 373-7706, speak with a Chat representative, or fill out our online contact form.

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