How to Deal with Snapchat Sextortion

Sextortion on Snapchat often starts with a random friend request. You notice an account you don’t recognize, but curiosity gets the better of you. After scrolling through their feed, which looks convincing enough, you decide to accept the request without much thought.

Hours later, you receive that first message. It’s friendly, it’s flattering, and maybe even a little flirty, and before you know it the conversation escalates. Their compliments and flirtation spark your interest, and you start wondering if this connection could be something more.

Then comes the first explicit image. The account sends you sexual content and, with a tone of playful confidence, asks if you wouldn’t mind sending one back. Against your better judgement, you take a chance and share something personal.

Then things take a dark turn. Shortly after getting the content from you, they send a message that goes from flirty to chilling. A thank you followed by a threat to share your content with your friends, family or followers unless you pay them for their silence.

Just like that, you’ve become one of the thousands of sextortion victims targeted on Snapchat every year.

While you may say this isn’t something that can happen to your or your loved ones, the fact is that sextortion on snapchat is a real threat that affects thousands of users each year. In a survey conducted by Snapchat 23% of their respondents reported having experienced sextortion on the app⁽¹⁾. Luckily by understanding how these sextortion schemes operate and understanding the services available for victims, you can effectively stop sextortion on Snapchat.

Why Is Sextortion A Problem On Snapchat?

The features of the snapchat application provide scammers with tools that many other applications do not including: a larger users base, a perception of user content security, and the ability to make multiple profiles for catfishing. Let’s explore these three factors in greater detail.

• Larger User Base: According to a report in the third quarter of 2024⁽²⁾, snapchat has nearly 450 million users world wide. These numbers make it one of the most popular applications second only to Meta and X platforms. A large user base means a playground for cybercriminals.
• Perception of Content Security: One of the features that Snapchat highlights is the 24 hours before content disappears. This function creates a false sense of security with their user base when it comes to sharing content, making the concept of sexting feel harmless.
• Ability to Create Catfish Profiles: Like many social applications, Snapchat’s security features do not prevent cybercriminals creating fake profiles.  In fact, there are very few steps that can stop a user from creating multiple user profiles with unverified images. This ensures that a scammer can create multiple accounts to catfish and then threaten the victims they sextort.

Does Snapchat Have Tools To Combat Sextortion?

In 2024, Snapchat took a big step in announcing new security measures to prevent sextortion on their application. These steps included the launch of both features and educational materials including:

• Helpful pop-ups that trigger whenever someone you don’t have mutual friends with or in your contacts messages you.
• Reporting tools that victims of Snapchat sextortion, Snapchat blackmail, and other forms of extortion. In many cases this lead to the suspension of many catfish accounts from the platform.
• Safety guides offering checklists for victims of snapchat sextortion to navigate through privacy settings, age restrictions, and blocking of suspected accounts.

However, there have been some on the global stage that have advised that this is not enough with no real tools for helping victims of Snapchat sextortion prevent content leaks or exposure.
This is why it’s important to be proactive in keeping your private life private and avoid sharing content with suspicious accounts. Your well-being and safety are essential.

What Should You Do If Sextorted On Snapchat?

If you become a victim of any social media blackmail, you should remain calm, scammers leverage your fear of exposure to push you into making rash decisions.  Don’t let them.

We understand how stressful this situation can be, especially on Snapchat, where a blackmailer can quickly share your nudes in a targeted group message to your friends, family, or other followers. However, by following these six steps, you can protect yourself while seeking help from the appropriate authorities.

1. Don’t block the blackmailer: While your blackmailer won’t know if you report them, they’ll know if you block them. This could exacerbate the situation and lead to a potential leak. Instead silence the notifications and work with professionals who will leverage this connection.
2. Don’t pay, delay: Sextortion is all about financial gain so if you delay the payment you’ll have more time to fight back and stop the sextortion. If you need help with some go to delay tactics, click here.
3. Document everything: No professional organization will ask for your explicit content, but they will  use the screen shots of the blackmailers profile, their messages to you, and any information you can provide.
4. Repot to local authorities: File a police report as a victim of sextortion. While jurisdictional complexities may cause delays in effectively stopping the Snapchat sextortion, it is something that will help you in the end. You may be instructed to contact the IC3 or other federal cyber crime organization based on the capabilities of your local law enforcement.
5. Work with local Cybersecurity experts: There are private cyber security companies that can work on your behalf to get the sextortion to stop they also have methods that can preserve your reputation and prevent leaks.
6. Report the scammer to Snapchat: While Snapchat can only remove your scammers account from their platform, it is a step to help you and other future victims. For a comprehensive visual guide on how to report sextortion to Snapchat, click here.

Will Your Blackmailer Follow Through on Snapchat?

While it is not advantageous for your blackmailer to expose you before they are paid, it can happen. On Snapchat, it is easier for scammers to leak your photos or videos to targeted lists via the group messaging feature.  If this happens, take the following steps:

1. Report the leak to snapchat right away using their reporting tools for inappropriate content.
2. Contact any other platforms where the content may have been shared. If the site is an adult website, you’ll likely need to use a DMCA takedown notice.
3. Partner with professional organizations to monitor and minimize current and future exposure.

Stop Sextortion On Snapchat Today with Digital Forensics Corp.

We know how overwhelming and stressful it can be to go through Snapchat sextortion. We are here to help you find out who is behind the breach, gather vital evidence and support you in taking the necessary steps to protect yourself.

Our team of experts uses advanced cybersecurity techniques to trace the origin of breaches and potentially identify perpetrators through analysis of IP addresses, data and digital footprints. In cases where you content was already leaked, we used advanced hash-match features to remove your content from the web and ensure it does not continue to appear.

Contact us at 888-521-1551 for a free initial consultation and dark web audit to determine if your personal information or intimate content is used against you. We also have additional information available via out Sextortion Helpline.

Sources:

1. Snapchat Sextortion Survey: https://values.snap.com/news/new-sextortion-research-gen-z
2. Q3 2024 Snapchat User Report: https://www.statista.com/statistics/552671/snapchat-app-dau-region/

DISCLAIMER: THIS POST IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED LEGAL ADVICE ON ANY SUBJECT MATTER. DIGITAL FORENSICS CORP. IS NOT A LAWFIRM AND DOES NOT PROVIDE LEGAL ADVICE OR SERVICES. By viewing posts, the reader understands there is no attorney-client relationship, the post should not be used as a substitute for legal advice from a licensed professional attorney, and readers are urged to consult their own legal counsel on any specific legal questions concerning a specific situation.

The information presented in this article is based on sources that are not readily available to the public and may be subject to restrictions or confidentiality. It is intended for informational purposes only.