How to Avoid Paying Your Blackmailer

You’ve met someone online who you thought could be a potential love interest, or maybe just a fling, either way this person has hold of your sensitive and private content and is asking for a hefty price in return to delete it.

So, what do you do? You don’t have any money to extend, causing you to panic. Meanwhile, this criminal is bombarding you night and day with threats of exposure if you don’t cough up some cash. In this article we’ll tell you how to avoid paying your blackmailer.

I’m Being Blackmailed: How To Deal With Blackmail

It’s important to know that sextortion is a very serious cyber-crime. It can potentially ruin your life. But there are ways of avoiding going bankrupt to keep your content hidden. In this article, we will discuss some steps to take to avoid having to pay your blackmailer. 

It’s understandable to be scared once you are aware of the severity of your situation. Whether via text messages, phone calls, dating apps, or in person, these criminals know just what to say to make you believe that your life is in their hands. No one else can save you.

Sextortionists’ game plan consists of obtaining as much information on you as possible. That can include your phone number, address, employer, and, most importantly, the social media accounts of your friends and family members.

Moreover, the scammer may claim to have nude photos from your webcam or damaging information. This form of extortion has been around since time began, and it’s only gotten worse with the advent of the internet. 

Scammers use all of this to establish dominance over you and prove that they have everything they need to take action and expose your content all over the web. Having all of this information thrown in your face at once can cause anyone to break down and agree to any and all of their demands, even if that forces you to make sacrifices to get money.

We are here to tell you that is not the case, you are not alone in this situation, and there are many resources and tactics to use to help you in any form of blackmail. Let’s get into some helpful tips you can use to avoid paying your blackmailer and, ideally, get them convicted of this federal crime.

What Should I Do If Someone Blackmails Me?

First and foremost, you should NEVER pay your blackmailer! These criminals are extremely money-hungry. If you were to ever send them any amount of money, they would know their scare tactics have worked and that you are capable of sending them what they want.

These criminals give you false hope in believing that if you pay their demands, they will delete your content and disappear. Unfortunately, this is not the case and has never been the case when it comes to sextortion. These criminals will continue to come back for more money. They will not stop until you are left dry.

That said, there are ways to stall paying your blackmailer. If they know that you are willing to pay them money, they will most likely work with you and situate a plan to obtain that money. It means if you come up with a believable story as to why you can’t pay them right then and there, but you are going to pay them in due time, they will agree.

Here are some excuses you can use to stall your blackmailer:

• Wait Until Payday. You have no money until you get paid in a few days or a week.
• Need To Take Out a Loan. Can’t afford to send a large amount of money, but you are willing to take out a loan for them. Tell them it is going to be available in a few days.
• Sell Your Possessions. You are willing to sell your possessions in order to get enough money to send to them, but you need time to find buyers.
• Locked Account. Your bank account is frozen due to unpaid taxes or student loans.
• Waiting on a Friend. You are waiting on a friend to lend you the money.

Is It Illegal To Pay a Blackmailer?

Clearly, blackmail itself is illegal under criminal law. The severity of punishment varies, like in California and New York, it’s considered extortion and is a felony. But in Texas, blackmail laws are a bit differen and ranges from misdemeanor to felony.

What about paying, though? In most jurisdictions, it’s not illegal to pay a blackmailer. However, doing so is strongly discouraged because it is almost always ineffective. 

While it is strongly discouraged, it’s not illegal in most jurisdictions to pay your blackmailer. Paying a blackmailer rarely stops their demands. Actually, precisely the reverse generally happens. The blackmailer often forwards your information to an accomplice, who then uses it to further extort you.

So, rather than paying up, it’s crucial to involve professionals like our team at Digital Forensics. Under federal law and state law, our digital professionals can assist in recovering your money, compiling evidence, and pursuing legal action.

Dealing with law enforcement also ensures that the extortionist faces the appropriate criminal blackmail charges in your blackmail case, therefore protecting you from ongoing threats.

What Can I Do If I Am Blackmailed Online?

It’s hard to say how your blackmailer will react to these stalling techniques. Since every sextortionist is different, some are more aggressive than others. But these are examples of successful excuses our clients have used when trying to stall payment.

If your blackmailer were to ever disagree and push you to send the money right away, it’s important that you stand your ground and play the victim role. Playing scared, and pleading with the suspect to give you more time also works in your favor. Along with establishing a deadline and reassuring they will get the money.

How To Deal With Sextortion

Once you have successfully given yourself enough time to stall, you should immediately seek out law enforcement and cyber-crime specialists. As I mentioned before, sextortion is a serious crime, and it should be handled by professionals only.

You may think that you can handle blackmail on your own, but that typically leads to your content being exposed or an empty bank account. We recommend you do lots of research when seeking out specialists. There are copious amounts of companies online that specialize in sextortion – us being one of them.

If you need help with sextortion, please chat with us online or give us a call. Our Sextortion Helpline comes with a 90% success rate in obtaining proof of deletion of your content and is available to you 24/7 to ease your burden and bring tranquility back to your life. We hope that we answered your questions.

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 in this situation, you need expert help.

Sources:

Penal Code § 518 PC – California “Extortion” Laws & Penalties | Shouse Law Group

Instructions for Reporting an Extortion Payment | DFS.NY.gov

PENAL CODE CHAPTER 36. BRIBERY AND CORRUPT INFLUENCE | Texas Statues

Financially Motivated Sextortion | FBI