Sextortion: What to Do
Sextortion is when someone threatens to share sexual images of you unless you pay money or send more images. It often starts with a friendly stranger online. It’s a crime, it’s not your fault, and there is help. Paying almost never makes it stop.
- Everyone
- Teens
- Parents
How it usually happens
- Someone you met on social media, a game or a dating app seems friendly or flirty, often pretending to be a young person.
- They send a photo and pressure you to send one back, or move the chat to another app.
- As soon as you send something, they threaten to send it to your family, friends, school or employer unless you pay, often by gift card, payment app or crypto.
- Some scammers use AI to make fake nude images from normal photos, so it can happen even if you never sent anything. See Deepfakes & AI Scams.
The FBI warns that many financial sextortion cases target teenage boys, and some victims have died by suicide. Scammers move fast to create panic.
What to do right away
- Stop responding. Don’t argue or negotiate.
- Don’t pay or send more. Paying usually leads to more demands.
- Save evidence first: screenshots of messages, usernames, profile links and payment requests. Then block the account.
- Tell someone you trust, such as a parent, friend, counselor or another adult.
- Report it (see below).
Where to report
- FBI: tips.fbi.gov, or the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. See Reporting Cybercrime.
- If the victim is under 18: the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678).
- The platform where it happened. Most have a reporting option for sextortion or non-consensual images.
- Local police, especially if you’re in danger.
Getting images removed
- Take It Down (takeitdown.ncmec.org) helps remove nude or sexual images taken of you before you turned 18, without you having to send the image to anyone.
- StopNCII.org helps adults stop intimate images from being shared on participating platforms.
- Federal law now requires many platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images, including AI-made ones, after a valid request.
If you’re struggling
Feeling scared, embarrassed or hopeless is normal, and it will pass. You are the victim of a crime. If you have thoughts of hurting yourself, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) any time. See Suicide Prevention.
For parents
- Talk about sextortion before it happens, and promise your kids they won’t be in trouble for telling you
- Explain that people online aren’t always who they say they are
- Set accounts to private and limit messages from strangers. See Kids’ Online Safety
- If it happens, stay calm, focus on support, and report it
Standards & references
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