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I may be a victim of blackmail

We understand you are in a stressful situation, but the first thing to do when you realize you may be the victim of a blackmail scam is to remain as calm as possible.

We include immediate advice below. If you want more personalized advice about your case, we encourage you to report your scam on Chainabuse by simply clicking on “Report a scam.” You can opt-in to receive free immediate support, including advice to contact Law Enforcement and what you can do next.

In case of a sextortion scam or another blackmail scam:

  1. Do NOT panic and do not pay the ransom. It might seem counterintuitive to ignore a malicious online perpetrator. Indeed, paying a ransom could let the perpetrator know you will honor all demands.
  2. Stop engaging with the person trying to blackmail you. Cutting all contact with the perpetrator helps remove the power dynamic at play. Without open lines of communication, their ability to torment you further becomes limited.
  3. Document all communication with the scammer. Tangible documentation is essential for bringing a successful legal claim of blackmail.
  4. Secure all social media profiles if the scammer contacts you on social media. To secure your online accounts, set all profiles and accounts to private.
  5. Report the content to the relevant platform where the scammer contacted you.
  6. Secure your systems and contact the authorities.
  7. Be aware and avoid investigative scams - Do not engage with investigative firms that have not pre-vetted, as this may lead to another scam and more loss incurred. Some non-established firms try to take advantage of the stressful situation victims may be in to lure them and make them believe they can help them recover their funds, and then run away after the victim pays them a significant amount. Do not respond to investigative firms pretending they can freeze funds on your behalf. Only law enforcement can ask you for money in exchange for “getting back your funds.” Do not provide any personal information to these unknown investigators. Only take advice from pre-vetted investigative firms. We recommend some investigative firms as part of our support for free (more on this below). Chainabuse does not make any profit by recommending investigative firms. We only do so to protect victims from investigative scams.

Want help on your case? Report a scam and opt-in to get personalized support.