How To Report Blackmail on Skype – Stop Online Scams

Blackmailers are exploiting every online platform you can think of and victims are falling for their scams daily. Skype is one of the many platforms that blackmailers target to carry out their schemes. If you are a victim of blackmail on Skype you might be wondering How To Report Blackmail on Skype? In this blog, we will give tips on how to stop Skype blackmail and what you can do to keep yourself safer online. 

How Does Video Blackmail Work on Skype?

Typically, the person who tries to blackmail you will coerce you into a video call where they promise to expose themselves as long as you do the same.

Once on the call, some blackmailers will claim that their webcam is broken or there are issues on their end so they can’t show themselves but will convince you to carry on. Others will play a recording of an adult film and pretend it’s them.

These blackmailers then record a video of you without your knowledge using a screen recording app. Once they have the footage and/or images, they then will threaten to share the video with your friends and family unless you pay them money. 

In most cases, the blackmailer will already have your contact list and will start sending the video to your contacts unless you pay up, whether or not your blackmailer follows through with their threats all depends on the type of scammer you are dealing with.

They access this information by manipulating you into giving them your social media handles where they then start to add dozens of your family members and friends. They also use your social media profiles to learn more about you such as where you work, and which community groups you are a part of, and will threaten to expose your content to those groups on top of your loved ones. 

What To Do When You are Being Blackmailed on Skype

If you do find yourself the victim of a Skype sextortion or blackmail scam, there are some important steps you should take: 

• Do not delete any information between you and the blackmailer. Save all texts, emails, chats, etc. This will be very helpful for an investigation. 
• Do not give them any money. Paying them off will not guarantee that they will delete the footage; in fact, it may only encourage them to target you again in the future 
• Do not provide them with any personal information. Many scammers will try to scare you into giving them more personal information such as bank info, your ID, etc. Avoid that at all costs! You do not want to give them more ammo to use against you.  
• Report your scammer’s account to Skype. This will let the platform know that crimes are being committed on their platform. 

How to Stop Blackmail on Skype

The best way to stop blackmail on Skype and receive blackmail help is to reach out to professionals. Once you are faced with this type of crime you need to reach out to the authorities to make a report. These cybercriminals are very good at what they do, and if you try to go against them on your own, there is a chance that you will make things worse and fall for more of their schemes. 

Besides reaching out to authorities we recommend doing the following:

• Privacy settings: Update all of your privacy settings on all of your online accounts. 
• Limit information: Try to delete or limit any personal information you share about yourself on your accounts. Scammers use this type of information against you. 
• Tell Someone: Blackmailing with photo and sextortion can be very isolating. It’s important to reach out and confide in a family member or friend if you are in this situation. Scammers try to make their victims think that they are all alone in this. This is not true; the more support you have the more strength you can obtain to overcome this. 
• Seek therapy: If going to the police is not an option for whatever reason, seeking therapy can help deal with the emotional fallout of being blackmailed. A therapist can help support you as you process what happened and develop healthy coping mechanisms moving forward  
• Practice self-care: Finally, it’s important to practice self-care after experiencing something as traumatic as online sextortion or blackmail. Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself time to heal emotionally before moving on with your life.  

Its time to tell you – How To Report Blackmail on Skype if you’re willing to act

How to Report Blackmail on Skype 

Reporting threatening accounts and messages on Skype is very simple Follow these steps. 

1. In Skype, go to the chat where you need to report abuse.
2. To report the message, image, or other items:

• On mobile – tap and hold on to the item.
• On desktop – right-click the item.

1. Select Report a concern from the menu.
2. In the Report this window, select the reason for reporting the item. You will also have the option to block this contact.
3. Select Report again to confirm.

Skype video blackmail is a serious crime that can have lasting effects on its victims long after the initial incident took place.

If you’ve been a victim of sextortion or blackmail on Skype, know that there are steps that you can take to stop it from happening again.

Reach out for help from someone who can support you through this difficult time and take action against those who would seek to harm. Practice self-care and be patient as healing takes time. You are not alone, take action today!  Now you know How To Report Blackmail on Skype – It’s Time To Act

FAQ

How do I report blackmail?

Each of us has often wondered – Is blackmail a crime? Yes, it is and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) can help you report email scams and other online fraud.

To report an email scam, follow these steps: Open the FTC’s Complaints page Choose Internet services, online shopping, or computers category from the menu on the left Select Something else Describe your case as prompted by the FTC’s instructions If you have been a victim of the scam, report it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Can the police help with sextortion?

The police can help with sextortion.

Sextortion is the act of threatening to publish or share intimate images or videos of someone without their consent, to extort them for money or other favors. The police will be able to help if you have been threatened with this kind of extortion.

They may be able to catch the person who is extorting you, and they can also help you get your images removed from websites and social media platforms.

Is it safe to ignore millions of spam emails?

However, since sending millions of spam emails costs essentially nothing, even a small number of payments represents a large profit. While it’s generally safe to ignore these emails, some people will want reassurance, so you can almost always get this by searching the web for one or two sentences from the email.