First, the most important thing: if someone targets you with sextortion, it is not your fault. These are organised criminals who do this to many people, and being targeted says nothing bad about you.
Sextortion is when someone threatens to share a private, intimate image of you unless you pay them or send more. Here are habits that lower the risk, and a clear plan if it happens.
Lower the risk
- Be wary of a new online contact who moves fast, showers you with attention, and turns flirtatious quickly. Rushing intimacy is a common tactic.
- Keep your social accounts private, so strangers cannot see your friends, photos, or details.
- Be cautious about sharing intimate images, even with someone who seems trustworthy. You cannot control where an image goes once it leaves your device.
- Be careful accepting friend or follow requests from people you do not actually know.
If it happens
Stay as calm as you can, and hold to two rules:
- Do not send anything more. No further images, no matter what they threaten.
- Do not pay. Paying usually leads to more demands, not fewer.
- Stop replying. Save the messages and their profile as evidence, then block them.
- Tell someone you trust, and report it. You do not have to handle this alone.
You are not in trouble. Whatever has happened, the person doing this is the one in the wrong, not you. People will help you, and this can be dealt with.
If images of someone under 18 are involved. Take It Down, a free service, can help stop known intimate images of a minor from being shared online.
Related in this set. How sextortion works ยท If Something Goes Wrong