What To Do If Someone Is Threatening To Expose You?

Dealing with threats from others, whether someone you know or a stranger, can be extremely stressful, and in the moment, it can be hard to know what to do. Having someone threaten to expose you by posting sensitive material like screenshots of private conversations or intimate photos can be especially scary. 

When text messages are sent between two people the expectation is that the information shared on the screen stays between those involved. The unfortunate reality is that when explicit photos and messages are shared between two people, those digital footprints can be saved and shared through a variety of methods. 

Bad actors can come in the form of a former partner or a stranger who pretended to be interested in a relationship for the purpose of getting sexual content from their victim. No matter the circumstance, the threat to expose sexual images or content is a growing issue in the online world.

Instances of revenge porn, sextortion, and blackmail are all serious issues that mean the individual making threats is actually breaking the law. However, many victims of such threats are afraid to come forward out of fear that the threats are carried out. 

The sexual nature of the threats and exposure add a level of complexity that allows a scammer or ex to intimidate victims into submission. Many victims don’t want to draw attention to the issue or anger the person making threats for fear of retribution.

What Is Revenge Porn, Blackmail, and Sextortion?

Revenge porn, blackmail, and sextortion all fall under the umbrella of romance scams. In many instances, the objective of these threats is a scam made to get money or more sexual content from their victim. Each type of issue brings its own set of tactics and circumstances to be considered when addressing it. 

Let’s take a look at each of the issues and what the unique concerns they pose:

Revenge Porn

Revenge porn is a tactic usually perpetrated by an ex-partner but could involve someone the victim does or doesn’t know directly. This would be someone making threats to release nude photos, videos, or conversations. 

The purpose of the threat could be to shame their victim, to seek money by extortion, or to harass the victim into doing something the scammer wants. While most perpetrators of revenge porn threats are former partners, if the sexual material was shared or hacked, a third party could become involved.

Between 2016 and 2019, there was a 400% increase in victims of revenge porn despite the efforts of lawmakers and law enforcement officials to address the issue. The issue of revenge porn saw an increase in news coverage when laws were initially enacted to step up prosecution for the issue. Sites that hosted nonconsensual pornography were taken down, and coverage of the issue has shrunk, but the issue remains and has grown over time.

Blackmail and Sextortion

Cases of online blackmail and sextortion involve scammers who seek out intimate images from victims to then use against them in exchange for payment. Scammers will threaten to expose intimate images, videos, or screenshots of conversations to friends, family members, or coworkers. 

In exchange for keeping quiet, the scammer will request payment through hard-to-trace methods like gift cards, cryptocurrency, or more content. Blackmail and sextortion have become prominent issues on social media platforms and dating apps. 

Social media platforms like Snapchat can be a breeding ground for scammers because of the perceived privacy settings built into how the app works. Pictures and videos can be sent to other users and set to expire immediately after viewing. The issue is that images and videos can be screenshot or screen recorded, respectively, by modern devices and saved forever, despite the app’s intention for them to disappear forever.

Dating apps have become a focus for many scammers because of the increase in popularity. About three in every 10 adults have used a dating app as a way to find a potential partner. Dating apps, like social media platforms, allow users to make a profile easily and even get started with the platform free of charge. 

Scammers will create fake accounts with stolen images to match with a potential victim. The scammer will likely ask their victim to move the conversation to a separate app to keep their account in good standing as they attempt to extort their victim.

Messaging platforms like WhatsApp act as the perfect way for scammers to carry on conversations with their target off of a dating app platform. Messaging platforms allow conversations to occur similarly to text without revealing the phone number or other personal details of the people in the conversation. That means scammers can stay protected behind a wall of anonymity as they attempt to get nude pictures or other sexual content.

How To Stay Safe Online

There are many steps you can take to keep yourself safe online to prevent any potential issues with scammers. 

Let’s take a look at a few of the things you can do to keep yourself and others safe from scammers looking to commit blackmail and extortion:

Secure Online Accounts

Dating apps and social media platforms provide plenty of settings and options for how you engage with other users. Dating apps may let you choose who you want to connect with in terms of distance from you. 

While this setting can be helpful to ensure you’re not connecting with a potential scammer across the globe, these systems can be fooled. The best way to keep yourself safe from blackmail and sextortion in a dating app is to not send sensitive material through it. Instead, focus on getting to know each other first and discuss details you would be comfortable strangers knowing.

With social media platforms, there are far more options to keep yourself secure online. Many apps allow you to curate your friends list to only engage with those you know and trust. Social media apps should also allow you to turn your profile private so only those who you add are allowed to see what you share.

Insist on Meeting First

For instances of creating a romantic relationship online, it may be best to insist on meeting first. This may be to meet in person or video chat, something that proves the person you’re talking to online is who they say they are. 

It may be very clear that the person has something to hide if they refuse or make excuses not to meet. While meeting in person is ideal, those making long-distance connections may not be able to do so. A live video chat where you can clearly hear and see each other is a great way to prove they’re not hiding their identity.

What To Do if Someone Is Threatening To Expose You

If you’re dealing with someone threatening to expose pictures or other content involving you, taking the appropriate action can keep you safe and prevent the person from acting on their threat. 

Here is our go-to list to deal with a scammer or bad actor:

Don’t Engage

It’s important to stop engaging or replying to the person threatening you. By leaving an open line of communication with them, they can continue to harass you and change their tactics until something sticks. 

The person may employ tactics that garner a reaction, but many scammers will not act on their threat. If they were to carry out their threat, they would lose the very thing that gives them power.

It can feel scary to step away from the situation, but it gives the victim the majority of the power. It can be a good idea to block scammers to prevent the temptation to reply. Don’t negotiate with the scammer; they will believe you’re still an active target. If you were to pay the scammer, they would only pursue you further.

Document

Take detailed records of the situation and keep them secure. This can be through screenshots of messages, screen recordings, and writing down an account of anything that isn’t immediately available to be proved. 

Screenshots of all conversations in chronological order can be powerful evidence. Saving any particular exchanges of threats whether texts, videos, or images is important. If conversations happened in person or over the phone, writing down your account of it can prove valuable down the road.

Change Passwords and Activate Two-Factor Authentication

No matter the situation, it’s a good idea to change your password to something strong. If the person making the threats decides to escalate their efforts and attempt to gain control of your accounts, you will want to secure your account. 

They may attempt to gain access to destroy evidence or take further malicious action. During the conversations they have with their victim, they may have gathered information that would allow them to make educated guesses at the account password. 

Strong passwords are usually at least 12 characters long, don’t contain dictionary words, have no ties to your personal life, and contain a combination of special characters and numbers. The inclusion of personal details in a password is an all too common occurrence that can lead to compromised online accounts. It is recommended you change passwords on all online accounts, not just where a conversation occurred.

Turning on 2FA, or two-factor authentication, is a great way to prevent someone from accessing an account even if they have the password. Many accounts allow for two-factor authentication activation and would require special access to another device to gain access. Two-factor authentication will often send a code or link to a phone or email address or provide a code through a phone call.

Contact Authorities

After gathering evidence and securing your accounts, the next step should be to seek help from authorities. Your local law enforcement may have a special division that handles cybercrime. If your local police station is ill-equipped for online harassment, there are other organizations that can help.

The FBI can help address concerns of sextortion, blackmail, and revenge porn. FBI offices may be located in a town near you, thanks to their extended network of field offices. The federal government is well-equipped to deal with a variety of cybercrime issues, including instances of child exploitation.

Organizations like the NCMEC (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children) have many free tools and resources to help young victims of sextortion. Cases involving minors are particularly serious and sensitive as children and the elderly are often targeted. As our most vulnerable citizens, young people face serious threats online in the online world through social media platforms.

Contact Digital Forensics Corp

Digital Forensics has a dedicated 24/7 helpline for victims of sextortion. Our team is made up of lawyers who specialize in cybercrime, digital forensics experts, and social engineering experts. 

The unique set of skills across our team means that we can help victims of sextortion get control of the situation, prevent the release of sensitive material, and provide documentation that can be presented in court. We use special proprietary tools to track down bad actors and unveil the threat. 

We can see the digital footprints left behind by scammers and people making threats, which allows us to locate, identify, and bring them to justice. In addition to dealing with direct threats, we can help victims secure their accounts, protect their information, and prevent future occurrences.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of threats to expose them or their sensitive images, videos, or conversations, taking action is easier with help. We have a proven track record of helping our victims take back control. 

The threat may come from someone you know or someone you met online, if they’ve attempted to blackmail, extort, or intimidate you they’re a risk that can be mitigated by our team.

Sources:

What To Do if You’re the Target of Revenge Porn | Federal Trade Commission

An Update on the Legal Landscape of Revenge Porn | National Association of Attorneys General

Key findings about online dating in the U.S. | Pew Research

How to create strong passwords | Google

Victim Services | FBI