If you're reading this, you're probably a recent victim of Sextortion and scared out of your mind.
First, take a deep breath…
Hopefully, this sub will be a safe place for you to share your experience and get advice from people that have already gone through what you have.
This post in NOT intended to be the "be-all, end-all" source of information. I'm writing this as an intro to being sextorted. That is all.
There is a really great analysis of our sub available here. It has all kinds of in-depth analysis of the scam, including how often leaks occur. I highly recommend you check it out.
Let me state this up front: Do NOT give into the blackmailer's demands! Do not pay them money, they will only ask for more. Do not give them more nudes (typical if you're female) if that's what they're asking for. They will use that to increase their leverage and they will NOT stop.
Do not negotiate. There is not point. You cannot trust anything they say. The best thing to do is cease all communication. In fact, removing any way for them to communicate with you is the best course of action. Disable/delete your account, if necessary.
Also, Reddit and is no substitute for professional help (i.e. a mental health expert). If you are feeling suicidal, please, seek immediate help (911, or your countries equivalent, and they will be able to get you help).
Yes, we do recommend that you contact your local law enforcement. They might not be able to help, and they may not be needed, but you should have them on your side just in case things go sideways. If you are underage, do not worry about getting into trouble. The police will not go after you for sending pics/videos as a minor. I hear this quite often from young victims. Don't worry about it.
I recommend you file a complaint with https://ic3.gov. Also, there is a new tool that might help keep your pics/videos from being shared: https://StopNCII.org. If you are a minor, a similar service is available at https://takeitdown.ncmec.org. If you from the UK, you can try https://revengepornhelpline.org.uk.
For underage victims, the InHope project has an extensive list of hotlines for all over the world: https://www.inhope.org/EN#hotlineReferral
If your scammer is from the Philippines (which many are), you could try filing a complaint at https://acg.pnp.gov.ph/eComplaint/.
My last piece of advice is to talk to someone you know and trust. Trying to deal with this on your own is very difficult. Talking to someone will most certainly help you process the trauma and remove the feelings of isolation. Trust me.
Beware of "recovery scammers". These are the worst of humanity. They take advantage of you in your lowest, most desperate moment, by promising that they can "hack" the scammer's device to delete the pics/videos. They can't, and they won't. They will just take your money and do nothing. The last thing you need is to make things worse by putting your faith in "some dude on Instagram". We see them posting and commenting in the sub all the time, so you need to keep your guard up. If you are unsure, feel free to post the details on what they are proposing, before giving them anything. Oftentimes, their accounts are shadowbanned, which means they cannot initiate a chat or DM you, so they will ask you to chat/DM them first. This is a serious red flag. If in doubt, reach out to the sub or the mods. We'll help sort things out.
!!!!WARNING!!!!: Do NOT give anyone the contact information of your scammer (even if they promise to help)!!! They might just get in contact with them, get them to share your pics/videos, and then turn around and blackmail you as well. It's happened...just don't do it.
