What to do When Someone Blackmails You on Social Media?

Due to hackers and data leaks, the idea of privacy is almost nonexistent in today’s digital age. The internet makes it fairly easy to access people’s personal information which makes people vulnerable to online blackmail. If you have become a target and need help keep reading to find out what to do when someone blackmails you on social media.

What is Blackmailing on social media?

There are a few different ways that criminals can use social media to blackmail their victims. The most common is by hacking into someone’s account and gaining access to their sensitive content and information and then threatening to release private information unless they’re paid off.

Hackers can also create fake accounts and befriend or follow their victims to gain access to their private information. Another way that online blackmail can happen on social media is through online sextortion, which is on the rise and claims thousands of victims.

This is when blackmailers disguise themselves as attractive people on social media and reach out to as many people as they can.

They manipulate and coerce their victims into sending explicit content with the idea of them having a little bit of “fun” and then threaten to release those compromising photos or videos unless the victim pays them money.

Blackmail can happen even if there are no naked pictures or videos involved; all it takes is something that the victim doesn’t want to be made public, like embarrassing photos or videos, private information regarding a business, secrets, or sexually explicit messages.

What to Do When Someone Blackmails You on social media

If you’re being blackmailed on social media, the first thing you should do is try to stay calm. It’s important not to give in to the demands, as this will only encourage the blackmailer and make them more likely to target someone else. Once you’ve taken a step back, you can start to think about how to handle the situation.

The best course of action will vary depending on the severity of the blackmail attempt, but there are a few general steps you can take:

-Report the blackmail attempt to the platform where it occurred (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) -Block the blackmailer from all your social media accounts

-Change your privacy settings so that only people who are already your friends or followers can see your posts

-Reach out to a trusted friend or family member for support

-Keep screenshots or copies of any messages or images that were sent to you -File a report with the police if you feel like you’re in immediate danger

How to Stop Blackmail?

The best way to successfully stop social media blackmail is to contact authorities and other blackmail specialists.

Blocking your blackmailer on your socials is not going to make them disappear. These cybercriminals are very good at what they do and they will continue creating social accounts, phone numbers, and emails to continue the blackmail and harassment.

We recommend you reach out to your local police precinct and make a report to the FBI. Blackmail specialists are also important to contact because they specialize in these types of cases and can most likely give you faster results than your local police can.  

You shouldn’t deal with online blackmail alone and you don’t have to. We hope this blog has taught you a little about what to do when someone blackmails you on social media. Remember to document the blackmail and alert authorities and specialists as soon as you can! Don’t let your blackmailer silence you, take a stand today! Contact Our Blackmail Helpline. We Can Help You To Stop Blackmail Facebook Blackmail, Instagram Blackmail etc.