A scammer is threatening to release my information or images — what do I do?
Do not pay. Contact the FBI's IC3, report to the platform where contact occurred, and if sexual images are involved, report to the NCMEC CyberTipline. Payment almost always escalates demands.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Sextortion and blackmail scams use the threat of releasing private images, data, or damaging information to extort payments. The scammer typically claims to have hacked your device or obtained compromising content through a social media relationship, and demands payment to delete the material. These threats are distressing but paying almost always leads to escalated demands rather than compliance.
Do not pay. In the vast majority of cases, scammers who receive payment simply increase their demands or return weeks later with new threats. The material (if it even exists) typically gets released or not based on factors entirely outside your control — payment does not change this.
Report to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov. Sextortion and blackmail are federal crimes, and the FBI investigates actively. Also report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline if sexual images of minors are involved. If you are an adult victim, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative at cybercivilrights.org provides resources for image-based abuse.
Report the account to the platform where the scammer contacted you. Social media platforms and dating apps take image-based blackmail very seriously and can remove accounts and preserve evidence for law enforcement. Document everything: save the messages and any profile information before the account disappears.
Common red flags
- Someone claims to have access to your webcam or browsing history
- A contact from a dating app or social media threatens to release intimate images
- You received an email claiming your device was hacked with 'proof' (often a real old password)
- Demand for immediate payment in cryptocurrency or gift cards
- Scammer says they will send images to your employer or family
What to do now
- Do not pay — it almost always makes things worse
- Do not delete the messages — preserve them as evidence
- Report to the FBI's IC3 at ic3.gov
- Report the account on the platform where contact occurred
- If sexual images of a minor are involved, report to NCMEC CyberTipline
- Contact the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative at cybercivilrights.org for adult victims
Frequently asked questions
The scammer sent me a real old password as 'proof' they hacked me — should I be worried?
Old passwords in these emails come from data breach databases, not real hacks. Change the mentioned password if you still use it anywhere, but there is no evidence your device is actually compromised. This type of email is a mass-scale scam sent to millions of people.
What if the scammer actually has real images of me?
Report to the FBI's IC3 and the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative regardless. Many U.S. states now have laws making non-consensual distribution of intimate images a crime. The platform where the scammer operates can also proactively hash known images to prevent distribution.