What To Do If Someone Is Threatening To Leak Your Nudes
Have you had your most intimate and private images or videos threatened to be shared on the Internet?
This emerging strain of cyber exploitation is a kind of ‘revenge porn’. It can leave victims scared, embarrassed and unsure of what to do next.
If you find yourself on a revenge porn threat, it is perfectly natural to feel anxious - desperate, even want to give in to the blackmailer’s demands to make everything go away.
But in the long run, capitulating to extortion is likely to only make the problem worse. Here is a comprehensive guide on exactly what to do if someone is threatening to leak your nudes or private images without your consent:
Seek Out Professional Support
Finding out that your trust destroyed can also leave you feeling lonely and depressed. You might feel embarrassed and try not to say anything, but suffering in silence only adds to your suffering.
As hard as this is, consider talking to someone you trust, such as a close friend, family member, counselor or victims advocate. Having social support and an empathetic listener will help ground and stabilize your emotions during this crisis.
Whether you seek help from a psychologist that specializes in sexual trauma, cybercrime or PTSD, therapy can help you to process feelings of rage, anxiety and shame and help you to re-establish your sense of safety lost due to the threat.
Do Not Communicate With The Blackmailer
When you are threatened that your intimate pictures or information will be posted, you are likely to want to engage with the blackmailer in order to prevent that from happening. But responding to the abuser usually backfires.
Responding to messages, bargaining with or succumbing to any demands could strengthen the blackmailer’s hold over you. They might take any contact as proof that their threats are effective and ratchet up their extortion efforts further.
The best move is to not engage with the perpetrator until told otherwise by a blackmail professional and keep a record of any messages you have received. Do not delete any texts, emails, or DMs until they have been reviewed for evidentiary value.
Do Not Comply With The Blackmailer's Demands
Some blackmailers will ask you for money, favors, or ask for receipts to your other naked pictures /videos in order not to publish your private content in their threats.
That said, you should not submit to a blackmailer. Data indicates that in over 93% of situations where a victim pays the blackmailer, the blackmailer makes additional demands. Paying a blackmailer will not guarantee that the blackmailer will honor their end of the bargain, and often leads to more threats of extortion. Submitting to their demands is likely to perpetuate a cycle of coercive control that empowers further predation.
Preserve All Evidence
Any digital contact with the blackmailing party is key evidence. Document all threatening messages you have received via text, email, social media or other platforms. Do not change or erase anything If at all possible, take screenshots for documentation. Save copies of the URLs, pages, or files if the private material has already been posted online. It may be possible to file takedown requests to have them removed once a report has been made.
Participate in Ongoing Monitoring
After what happened to you, it is understandable to be paranoid about your privacy and safety. As hard as it is to do, avoid obsessively checking devices or accounts every few minutes. And this habit of anxiety can easily become detrimental and result in poor decision-making.
Thus, avoid scrolling through your online presence throughout the day and instead conduct planned monitoring where you only review your presence once in the morning and once in the evening. Document any activity related to the threat. Under some circumstances, it may be possible to
You can also think about suspending social media accounts that were used until it's determined during the investigation if they were misused. You’ll need to take action to protect your wellbeing.
File a Report with The Authorities
The most crucial step is to report the blackmail threat and nonconsensual distribution of intimate media to the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
In the United States, the FBI handles revenge porn with their End Revenge Porn Program. Local police can also take care of cyber exploitation cases. When reporting, include a detailed description of how the perpetrator got your private content, and the dates and details of any threats, demands, and leaks. Provide evidence that you have gathered.
Although not an easy process, coming forward can help an abuser from victimizing others. You are courageous and justice will be done.
Consult with An Anti-Blackmail Attorney
An experienced blackmail attorney can step between you and the blackmailer and institute a protocol which guides and protects you during this traumatic process. At the Anti-Extortion Law Firm, we specialize in guiding clients through blackmail situations.
As helpless as you might feel in blackmailer’s threats, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and to regain control of the situation and prevent further abuse. Contact us today.
