How To Recover From Sextortion

How to recover from sextortion – it’s a common question if you are a victim. There are steps you can take to recover from this traumatic experience, report sextortion, and seek sextortion help. We hope that by following these tips, you can begin the process of healing. 

What Is Sextortion?

Sextortion is a type of online blackmail where victims are coerced into providing sexually explicit images or videos of themselves. The perpetrator often threatens to release the images or videos to the victim’s friends and family or post them online unless the victim pays them. 

What Should I Do if I’m Being Sextorted?

• You are the Victim of a Crime: One factor you will need to accept over time is that, despite mistakes being made, you are still the victim of a cybercrime. What has transpired is not your fault. 
• Talk with Someone You Trust: When it comes to seeking sextortion help, talking things through can both be a useful tool and provide a therapeutic release. Not letting yourself feel alone in a situation is healthy in all things – talk to a friend, a parent, a counselor, a teacher, whomever you trust most to be a pillar of support for you.
• Document Everything: Document everything you receive or send in your interactions. Screenshot, screen record, save receipts, everything. The more documentation you have of your interactions with sextortionists, the better insulated you will be when it comes time to report sextortion to your local authorities or when going to seek sextortion help with private companies that could be of assistance.
• Limit Communications: When it comes to how you recover from sextortion, this is a tricky step – you may be tempted to keep engaging or try to solve the issue yourself. This can be dangerous — however, ignoring them outright can also lead to sticky situations, as well. Keep communication to a minimum. Do NOT over-communicate, and NEVER pay sextortionists.
• Limit Your Online Presence: Taking a breather from the internet is pretty normal in today’s age – you don’t necessarily have to go that far if you’re a sextortion victim, but limiting what is publicly facing on your social media accounts is definitely a good idea. Set your accounts to private, or limit them to only be accessible by accounts that are already friends.
• Report Your Case to the Authorities: Despite mixed efforts and results in our experience, we still recommend approaching your local law enforcement agency to report sextortion situations.  You may also wish to report your situation to the FBI’s (IC3). Again, given the size and scope of individual situations, the FBI may not give you a direct response.

Report Sextortion 

There are other resources out there that can assist you when it comes to how to recover from sextortion. If your situation has already passed as a victim, you may find yourself in a degree of mental anguish.

There is no shame in seeking counseling — sextortion can be a traumatic experience. 

If your situation is active and you are experiencing it right now, read this.

At Digital Forensics Corp, we see these kinds of cases every day. Our Team has a high degree of success when it comes to dealing with active situations. So, 

Contact Us at 1-888-206-3854 If you are faced with sextortion. Our Sextortion Helpline Is available for You 24/7. We can help you fight back in 24 hours or less. We know how to deal with sextortion.

For more information or to seek assistance with a situation of online blackmail, reach out to our sextortion helpline – we’re available 24/7 for your support. Now You Know What to Do If You’re Being Blackmailed Online.

Seeking Support

Emotional support can be extremely advantageous when navigating sextortion. Loved ones, a family member, or a close friend can give you assistance with practical issues as well as a safe space for you to communicate. 

Seeking professional help through a therapist or counselor can help you work through any trauma and boost your mental health. Legal support can give you back a sense of power by providing legal options to seek justice. Exploited children can be particularly vulnerable and benefit from the resources of powerful organizations like the NCMEC.

Recovery and Coping

The road to recovery takes time and patience. With a support network in place, you can practice self-compassion and find what works for you when it comes to coping. You may find peace through exercising, reading, or meditation. Communities like support groups offer a safe place for other people experiencing similar issues to validate what you’ve gone through. 

Spreading Awareness

Enduring a harmful event like sextortion means that you’ve learned things that can be helpful to others. Use your experience to help educate children and others to convey the seriousness of bad actors on the internet. 

You can help prevent someone from becoming a victim of sextortion by letting others know the tactics that scammers use. Scams and extortion can be avoided through education, passing on the knowledge that we gain from our experiences.

We can help you with different types of blackmail or sextortion. Here you can report:

Facebook Blackmail (Facebook Sextortion)

Instagram Blackmail (Sextortion On Instagram)

Snapchat Blackmail (Snapchat Sextortion)

It’s time to act now. Don’t hesitate. If you’re a victim this situation needs expert help.

Sources:

How to Record Your Screen – iPhone & Android Devices | Spotio

IC3.gov

Sextortion | NCMEC

How Do I Find a Good Therapist? | APA.org