You got caught in the trap. You fell for the honeyed words of someone who messaged you, someone you believed was in search of a relationship that might even become romantic. But after you shared personal details and intimate images of yourself, this person removed their mask, revealing a stranger you don’t know and would have never engaged with had you known the truth. Without your consent, you’ve become a victim of a version of blackmail known as sextortion.
But what happens next? The issues don’t stop there. Your blackmailer is now threatening to expose you, intending to use the information you provided to ruin your life. They may demand money or further compromising images, leaving you feeling trapped and powerless. The fear of exposure can be overwhelming, making it difficult to think clearly about your next steps.
Should You Report Your Blackmailer to the Police?
The answer is always yes. You should file a report with your local police department and compile your statement. If your blackmailer is in the same state as you and sextortion is a crime in your state, the police should be able to take your information and initiate action against the local criminal helping you seek justice.
Will You Need to Involve the FBI?
While local police can assist if the blackmailer is within your state, they may not have the authority to address cases that cross state lines. If your blackmailer is located outside your state, the case may need to be reported to the FBI. However, if they are outside of the country, you may find that U.S. law enforcement has limited ability to help. There are exceptions, though; if the victim is a minor under the age of 18, the FBI handles such cases differently.
This is why sextortion has become such an issue. Most sextortionists are not based out of the continental United States. The vast majority online sextortion originates from points in Nigeria, The Ivory Coast, and The Philippines. These sextortion rings operate within small, sometimes interconnected groups. Usually with a manager or overseer running the operation, while several others work from scripts and fed responses as they communicate with their potential victims.
What Can the Police Do When Your Blackmailer is Outside the Country?
This scenario is increasingly common, as many blackmailers operate from other countries. They can infiltrate your life by gathering information about you, your family, and people in your community, creating a network they can use against you.
What the police can do is record your situation. This is still a helpful and protective measure, as it documents your experience. However, the police may not be able to prevent your blackmailer from using the information they’ve gathered against you.
Who Can Help?
In such cases, a digital forensics specialist can provide essential services. These professionals specialize in cyber crimes like blackmail and sextortion, working to help you go on the offensive. They aim not only to track down your blackmailer and seek criminal charges against them in their country of origin but also to ensure that they can’t use the information they stole to harm your reputation. Their goal is to ensure your blackmailer is forced to permanently delete any compromising content, preventing any further action against you.
If you find yourself facing sextortion, please contact our Sextortion Helpline, we have experts in cybercrime ready and available to guide you through how to regain control of your life.
How To Move Forward
All this said, if this is what the police can do about blackmail and sextortion online, what other options do you have? One of the first is to file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crimes Complaint Center (or, IC3 for short).
This is a secondary layer of insulation much like the police report. However, while the FBI may not act immediately on your case. Due to their size and caseload, they are at least positioned better with their relationships with the Interpol. Interpol do have the reach necessary to arrest and bring to justice scammers like these. However, this option doesn’t often lead to quick solutions.
There, however, many private companies and individuals who knows how to deal with sextortion. We certainly recommend doing your research on the topic.
We’ve had years of experience and have assisted with thousands of cases of online sextortion and blackmail in that time. Our success rate in dealing with these types of situations is over 90%.
Our ultimate goal is to receive hard proof of deletion.
If you faced with sextortion, give us a call. Our staff is available 24/7 to hear your case. Contact Our Sextortion Helpline Now. Don’t Hesitate. We’ve Helped Thousands
Sources:
- How To Report Online Child Exploitation: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/parents-and-caregivers-protecting-your-kids/
