For anyone who has been confronted with the threat of sextortion, they likely ask some version of the same question: “Will Your Sextortionist Follow Through?” In cases of financial sextortion, where a cybercriminal threatens to release sexual content of a victim unless they pay them, this is a real question and one that Digital Forensics Corp. receives daily from victims.
Unfortunately, there’s no simple yes or no answer. Whether a sextortionist follows through on their threats to leak your photos depends on various factors. It’s a complex situation where the cybercriminal’s motivations and calculations come into play. Understanding these influencing factors is crucial for victims trying to assess their risk and determine their next steps.
Will Your Sextortionist Follow Through On Their Threats?
It is a possibility. From a 2023 survey conducted by Digital Forensics Corp., there was a 42% chance that, even if paid, a blackmailer could still follow through with their threat and release the incriminating images or videos they had of their victim.
Although this number is alarming, it’s important to understand that victims can take action to stop a sextortionist from exposing their photos or videos. Stopping a blackmailer involves being proactive, and victims should work with the right professionals to have their content removed from the blackmailer’s possession and prevent future threats.
What Stops a Sextortionist from Following Through?
For most sextortion scams, the goal of their blackmail is not to embarrass or humiliate their victim. Their goal is to hold leverage over their victim to extort them for as much money as possible. By using fear tactics and citing their ability to ruin their victim’s reputation, their hope is that they can continuously send request for money in exchange for continued silence. Depending on the victim, this extortion can begin at a low dollar amount and build overtime with the cybercriminal continuously testing the victim’s desire to keep their content private. Below is a list of the top reasons why sextortionist do not typically release the content they have on their victims.
- Loss of Leverage: If the blackmailer releases the content they have on their victim, they lose the leverage that would help them achieve their financial goals.
- Increased Criminal Activity: Releasing this content also adds to their list of crimes. While sextortion is a crime punishable by law, the release of explicit content without consent is also a crime with special considerations given if their victim is a minor. Cybercriminals are hoping to conduct their scams with anonymity and increased criminal charges can
While this does not offer proper insurance against the potential release of a victim’s content, it can give the victim time to fight back.
Factors That May Increase the Chances of a Blackmailer Following Through
A blackmailer’s decision to follow through with sextortion threats is influenced by several factors. Below are four vulnerabilities which our team of experts have advised increase the likelihood of the content being shared in cases of sextortion:
- The Victim: If the victim is a celebrity or a high-net-worth individual, a blackmailer may perceive this as a vulnerability to exploit. This could increase the likelihood that they may follow through with their threats.
- Previous Compliance with Demands: If a victim agrees to any payments demanded by a blackmailer, it creates an expectation for future payments.
- Communication With the Victim: While it is natural for a sextortion victim to feel angry, continuing to respond to the blackmailer’s messages may increase the likelihood that they will release the content.
- Rash Decisions: Cyber criminals can act irrationally if they feel strung along or frustrated; they might impulsively release their leverage.
Are Blackmailers More Likely to Follow Through And Leak Your Content On Social Media?
The likelihood of a blackmailer leaking explicit content on social media depends significantly on the platform’s ability to recognize and prevent the sharing of such material. Below is an overview of how major platforms handle nude leaks, sextortion, and social media scams involving explicit content:
Social Media Platforms That Can and Can’t Prevent Nude Leaks
- Instagram (Meta): Instagram employs AI-based filters to detect and blur explicit content sent in direct messages and also warns the recipient that the content is potentially sensitive. However, it does not prevent the recipient from opening and viewing the content.
The program requires users to report the content as NCII before it can remove it and potentially prevent re-upload through hash-based matching. - Facebook Messenger (Meta): Like Instagram, Meta does deploy similar AI to detect, blur, and warn recipients before they open explicit content. However, it does not prevent the opening of the content and also uses the same method to remove the NCII content from their platform.
- TikTok: The TikTok platform prevents the sending of sexually explicit images and videos altogether. Making it one of the few social media platforms where direct content exposure or nude leaks can not occur. Their admins have even taken steps to prevent exposure by implementing warnings for links that lead to exposure sites.
- Snapchat: Snapchat uses AI-powered detection which can flag and warn users about a content being deemed inappropriate, but it does not prevent opening unless the user is underage or has parental controls on.
- WhatsApp: Provides not controls for content. Exposure can occur without any blurring, which increases the risk of blackmail with nudes. The app currently relies on its reporting feature to flag and remove accounts associated with sextortion and online blackmail.
- Discord: Discord servers allow explicit images to be shared and received without any warnings or protection. You must report blackmail to Discord administrators and follow-up to prevent nude leaks on the application.(6)
- Twitter/X: The platform does not have any safety controls which would prevent the exposure of sextortion victims via public posts. The system does prevent the sending of explicit content via direct message. Reporting the post and the blackmailers account to Twitter/X administrators is the only current recourse available.(7)
In summary, while platforms like Instagram, Facebook Messenger, and TikTok have measures to prevent the dissemination of explicit content, others such as WhatsApp and Discord face challenges due to encryption and decentralized moderation. Consequently, the effectiveness of these platforms preventing social media blackmail is less than desirable.
What Does It Mean If a Sextortionist Stops Contacting You? Will They Follow Through?
In some cases, a sextortionist could suddenly stop communication because they no longer view you as profitable and have moved on to another target. They may also lose access to an account or go quiet to avoid detection. However, this silence does not guarantee that a threat has ended. Scammers may return months or years later to test whether you are still willing to pay or comply.
Because of this, silence should not be viewed as a reason to delete evidence or halt efforts to protect yourself. Make sure to store any contact details, threatening messages, and payment requests in a secure location. Continue monitoring for exposure and employing strong security practices with your online accounts. Staying prepared and preserving evidence gives you the strongest position if the sextortionist contacts you again.
What to Do If a Sextortionist Has Followed Through and Started Leaking Your Content
If the sextortionist follows through with their threats of exposure, your focus should shift to limiting how far the content spreads rather than negotiating with them. Containing the leak can help mitigate how many people view it, which can decrease the chances of your content being saved and reshared elsewhere.
- Save evidence of where the content was posted or sent, including URLs, timestamps, and screenshots.
- Report the content and the account to the appropriate platform, website, or internet service provider.
- If content was shared through direct messages or group chats, ask recipients not to save, forward, or repost the material.
- Use available NCII reporting and removal resources to help address additional instances of exposure and support takedown efforts.
- Continue monitoring for additional threats or exposure and report each new incident to the appropriate authorities.
Do not pay simply because the sextortionist has already exposed some content. Payment does not guarantee that other copies will be deleted or kept private.
What Can You Do If Threatened with Sextortion?
If you or someone you know is a victim of sextortion, there are important steps you can take to decrease the likelihood of the sextortionist following through with their threats. You are not powerless and there are actions you can take instead of giving into their demands. Taking these steps is the most effective way to recover from sextortion and regain control of your digital life.
Step 1: Do Not Block Them
Many victims of blackmail hope that ignoring their blackmailer will protect them from the danger of exposure. However, blocking or cutting off contact too quickly can trigger unpredictable consequences. Instead of rushing, it is often safer to slow down the interaction and use delaying tactics until you can get proper help. In addition, do not pay a blackmailer threatening you with sextortion. While the messaging your blackmailer may use promises they will delete the content if you pay them, that is a ploy to ensure they receive the first payment. Once the payment is received, most blackmailers will begin to send messages more frequently increasing their threats and demands.
Step 2: Report Your Blackmailer
When reporting a blackmailer, it is important to inform the proper authorities and services that can help you not only report your blackmailer’s crimes but also increase your chances of stopping them from releasing the content.
File A Report With Local Authorities.
Filing a report with local law enforcement is a good first step in dealing with digital blackmail. Not only will you be able to file a report, but local law enforcement may provide guidance on whether you should file further reports with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
Report Your Blackmailer on the Application:
If your blackmailer used any social applications to conduct their scam, it is important that you report them on these sites. Getting their account suspended/removed can decrease their ability to release the explicit content to your personal network. Below is a list of helpful resources with instructions on how to report sextortion on major dating and social media applications.
Instructions for reporting blackmail and sextortion on different social media applications are available below:
- How to report Blackmail on Facebook
- How to report Blackmail on Instagram
- How to report Blackmail on Snapchat
- How to report Blackmail on TikTok
- How to report Blackmail on Bumble
- How to report Blackmail on Tinder
- How to report Blackmail on Grindr
When filing any of these reports, it is important that you know you will not be asked by any legitimate organization or law enforcement officer to showcase any of the intimate content being used to blackmail you. You will only be asked to submit screenshots or other evidence showing the threat and the account the messages originated from.
Step 3: Contact Digital Forensics Corp.
At Digital Forensics Corp, we employ digital forensics, social engineering, and legal experts that work tirelessly to fight back against online blackmailers, sextortionists, and other cyber criminals. In some cases, our investigative process can also help victims recover stolen funds, depending on how the payment was made and how quickly action is taken. Our mission is to end digital blackmail and restore our clients’ peace of mind by working on their behalf to:
- Locate your blackmailer and remove their anonymity to stop cybercrime.
- Identify key info on the tools and channels they have used to blackmail you.
- Leverage this information to ensure your blackmailer deletes the content they have gathered on you.
As an added measure to protect our clients’ reputation, we deploy different strategies to reduce potential exposure removing the threat of blackmail and restoring peace of mind.
If you or someone you love is facing sextortion, please contact our Sextortion Helpline for immediate assistance 24/7. Our experts can provide a complimentary review of your current situation and equip you with the information you need to move forward and handle online threats.
FAQ
Unfortunately, there is no set timeline for exactly how long a sextortion threat can persist. Some scammers apply intense pressure for a short period and move on if the target does not comply quickly. Others may return days or weeks later with heightened threats and demands. Their behavior is often determined by the perceived likelihood that a victim will continue responding and eventually give in to their manipulation.
A lower demand may indicate that the scammer is trying to get any payment they can rather than abandoning the scam. In some cases, scammers will start with a small initial payment they believe a victim will view the payment as worthwhile to protect their privacy. But once the victim agrees, the scammer comes back later with escalated demands. Therefore, a small initial demand should not be treated as a safe solution or evidence that paying will end the threats.
Paying a sextortionist does not reliably guarantee that they will delete your content or refrain from following through on their threats. Instead, it often encourages the perpetrator to return with escalated demands. Even if they send proof of deletion, there is a possibility that additional copies could exist. Instead of paying, you should save evidence of the threats and work with trusted authorities to take actionable recovery steps.
Even after you block a sextortionist, they may still find new ways to contact you. They may create a new account, use a different phone number, or contact you on a separate platform. Furthermore, some sextortion schemes are conducted by organized cybercrime networks that involve multiple scammers operating separate accounts. It’s important to document any new attempts to contact you and report additional accounts connected to the threat.
There is rarely a definitive milestone moment that marks the official end of a sextortion threat. Scammers can halt communication for prolonged periods of time before returning with additional pressure tactics and demands. Receiving no additional contact or signs of exposure attempts is encouraging, but it’s important to preserve copies of evidence and continue improving your cybersecurity practices.
If a sextortionist’s main priority is financial gain, they may avoid following through because it removes the leverage they are using to blackmail you. However, cybercriminals can behave unpredictably, and some cases do end in exposure to close contacts. The sextortionist may gather information on your friends and family from your followers list and use this information to reach out to people who will make the threat feel immediate and believable. This could simply be an intimidation tactic, but the risk of legitimate exposure exists and needs to be addressed seriously.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO)
Dr. Viktor Sobiecki
Currently serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Digital Forensics Corporation, where responsibilities span the leadership of advanced cybersecurity initiatives, data breach incident responses, and corporate strategic planning.
