Will Blackmailers Send Pictures and Messages to My Family? What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself.
The feeling is like someone is punching you in the gut.
You slip up, and suddenly a blackmailer is threatening to release compromised photos or information about you to your wife, husband, children, parents or other family members unless you surrender some cash.
What are you supposed to do?
In this post, we are going to explain what family blackmail is, the chances of the blackmailer actually sending stuff to your family, and most importantly, strategies that you can use right now to mitigate the risk and get through this.
What is Family Blackmail?
Family blackmail, known as sextortion in some circles, is when someone tells you that if you do not give them money (or do whatever they demand), they will circulate embarrassing or illegal photos, videos or messages you have sent, or share your personal information, with your family members.
Those who use these blackmailing methods often will impersonate people on the internet to gain your trust and deceive you into revealing photographs or other sensitive personality details that people do not normally want to make available. At other times, they may also hack your email or social media accounts and plunder whatever private content they can find.
However they obtained it, their objective is the same: to manipulate your fear of family discovery into money. It is the worst type of exploitation.
What Are the Odds That They Would Send Anything?
Most likely, this is your greatest fear right now - will they ever send the data or are they just bluffing?
The statistics show:
In around 70 percent of cases, blackmailers will not actually send anything to your family. The only thing they want is money from you - and sending the info means you are less likely to pay.
But about 30 percent of blackmailers will send shaming information to spouses, parents, children, siblings or others.
So the odds may be stacked in your favor, but you are not completely risk-free – there is still a very real chance that they will put up or shut up and go through on threats to expose you. And that is why taking protective steps is so important.
Methods To Lower Your Risk
The good news is there are evidence-based tactics you can begin using immediately that will keep you and your loved ones safe:
Do Not Engage with the Blackmailer
This is extremely important. The more you say, the more material they have to work within their arsenal. Do not respond or do not communicate except through a law enforcement or attorney.
Do Not Pay Anything
As hard as it is to do, you should not pay the blackmailer anything. Every single dollar you do pay them is validation of how effective their tactics are and probably will lead them to demand more money from you.
And if you’ve already sent them money, stop any payments right away. Blackmailers will often drag out the charade demanding payments over weeks or months. Cut them off completely.
Gather Evidence
Collect any evidence you’ve got of the blackmail cautiously:
· Retain messages, emails, chat logs, texts etc.
· Make a note of any profile name, phone number or account they contact you from
· Screenshot any threats and/or demands for money
You’ll want to gather this evidence if you involve law enforcement or attorneys down the line.
Seek Legal Counsel
You need to speak with an attorney with experience in extortion and blackmail. They can help counsel you on the laws in your state and options like cease and desist letters.
If the blackmail involves child porn, you can report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Others also specialize in digital extortion and have experience negotiating with blackmailers.
Do Not Panic
It is terrifying to be blackmailed with threats of contacting your family. The stress and sleepless nights appear intolerable.
Sadly this happens more than you might think. People can come out on the other side of this, with their family relationships intact; many have done so. Do not panic or act rashly. Follow a systematic process using the strategies laid out above.
FAQs
Should I just confess and tell my family about the blackmail before the scammer does?
Informing your family before the blackmailer does might seem like a way to soften the blow, but it typically is not the best course of action. Until any information gets to family members directly, or you are advised otherwise by your counsel, it’s best to say nothing. If you do, explain, calmly, that you are being targeted for extortion.
What should I do if I think I know who the blackmailer is - do I confront them?
Do not ever confront the blackmailer yourself, even if you think you know who it is. That would make them mad and escalate the situation. Collect any evidence available that can identify them and provide to your counsel or the authorities to address accordingly.
If I got a new phone number or deleted social media, would it stop them?
Sadly, updating your contact info likely will not deter a determined blackmail scam artist. They generally employ increasingly aggressive tactics to be paid.
Should I tell the scammer that I contacted the police or FBI?
Do not inform the blackmailer that you have reached out to law enforcement or the F.B.I., even if you have. In our experience, this communication is unlikely to end blackmail situations. Leave communication up to law enforcement.
What if I’m too ashamed or embarrassed to tell anybody, not even the police?
Many people would feel ashamed, but that should never be a reason for you to not seek guidance. Law enforcement professionals encounter extortion on a daily basis. They will take your case in a new way, without judgment and quietly.
Could posting warnings about the blackmailer stop them?
It’s not a good idea to post public warnings to your blackmailer. That might provoke them and make matters worse. Force them quietly through legitimate legal means.
Will they leave me alone forever after I pay one time?
No, it is likely that even once paying the blackmailer will only motivate them to continue hunting you for further payments.
