How to Avoid Falling Victim to Internet Sextortion?

Dating site extortionists continue to make money on the intimate secrets of trusting citizens. Naively sent personal photos can become a weapon against you in a blink of an eye. However, with the right approach, unpleasant consequences can be avoided, and you won’t have to report online sextortion. 

Most often, extortionists deliberately contact the victim to obtain dirt on them. Sometimes they hack into devices that contain personal information, such as passwords, photos, and correspondence. There is also the opposite situation when the extortionist is not a random Internet user but a close or well-known person. Not so seldom are situations when an intruder can be a person you used to be in a relationship with. So how do you avoid getting blackmailed by sensitive information?

Rules of Conduct

Panic and consent to fulfill the extortionist’s demands are expected as the first reaction to a possible leak. The victim’s behavior in such a situation is typical and understandable: no one wants their personal data to be spread all over the Internet. It can affect all areas of life, from the family to the workplace. Sometimes victims are willing to do anything to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, including paying a considerable amount of money. However, it’s important to remember that an extortionist won’t stop with just that. After receiving the desired compensation, they will continue to blackmail you. Therefore, it’s not worth believing and complying with the demands as soon as they come in. 

To avoid falling under the power of a blackmailer, we recommend taking the following measures:

1. Find out what the threats are related to, who and what you are threatened with, and what actions are demanded of you;
2. Do not panic; remain calm because the blackmailer is not expecting such behavior. Also, do not answer rudely or aggressively, talk calmly and confidently, do not react to the threats, do not try to negotiate with the blackmailer, and do not comply with their conditions, but if the situation allows it – postpone satisfying the demands;
3. The most important thing is to record all the available interactions, i.e., to make screenshots of correspondence and records of conversations, and then take the evidence to law enforcement. 

How to Prevent Possible Blackmail?

• Do not keep all personal data on one device or send it via chat. 
• Do not leave your data on unfamiliar websites.
• Avoid dialogues with suspicious people and block them at the first opportunity.
• Use reliable services for communication.
• Don’t reveal your personal data to someone you don’t know (they can use it against you). 
• Do not send intimate photos of yourself through unsecured channels and to persons you don’t know or know superficially. 

If you encounter sex blackmail on the Internet, you shouldn’t panic and follow the blackmailer’s demands – gather evidence and go to the police. Remember that life goes on in any case. Try not to let it affect you too much. The best way to solve this problem and forget about it forever is to ask for help from law enforcement.