Being Blackmailed

[LonnaV]

I met this person on an app saying she was 19 sent a video showing proof she was a real person but then asked if we wanted to trade pics I’m 22 , I said sure cuz I saw she was real then she said she followed my Instagram got my pictures made a whole photoshop edit of all my followers and pictures with my nude d pick threatened me, I got scared and she asked for money $300, I was soo scared that I sent $150, I didn’t think of it at the time not to send her money but now I’m dumb I should’ve ignored it and now I’m scared she will send it out to all my friends and followers I have on my Instagram account , she added me on Snapchat that’s where it all happened now I have until 6pm today to give her $150 the remaining what do I do I’m scared and don’t know what to do 

[Duckie]

Hi @LonnaV

Thank you for getting in touch. I'm Duckie and I am one of the support mentors here at Ditch the Label. I'm really sorry to hear that you're being threatened with your nudes. I can imagine this is very stressful for you, but I just want you to know that you have come to the right place and we can help you. 

Firstly, if you would find it helpful, we may be able to have their Instagram/Snapchat account removed. To do this, please send a link to your account and theirs with screenshots of the conversation where they threaten you. Please block out any of the nude content when you send this over. You can either use our only support tool https://ditchthelabel.org/report/ or send an email to support@ditchthelabel.org if you prefer. Please block out any of the nude content when you send this over.

Secondly, if you haven’t done so already, make your all your social media accounts private and block the individual (be sure to also select the option to block any new accounts they might make). You could even ask your followers to block the account. If they know your real name, take this out of any social media usernames. You could also try to find their account on other social media platforms and block them there.

You might also find this tool helpful https://stopncii.org/ (over 18). It's a free service, which can help you to prevent your images from being shared in the first place. You can use this tool without having to send your images or videos to anyone.

I am so sorry that you felt pressure to send this person money. Have you thought about reporting this to the police because the blackmail aspect of this might be a crime where you are based? Would you mind  me asking where you are based? I would definitely advise you to not pay them anymore. They are going to try and convince you that you have to pay them more but their only motivation is money and if they realise they are not going to get anymore, they have nothing to gain by leaking your photos. They can also get into a lot of trouble legally for doing that and I am sure they are aware of this. Therefore, I would suggest that you ignore all communication if they try and contact you again. From experience, the more time that passes, the less likely it is that the content will be leaked as the individual usually then moves on. How do you feel about that?

Please don't worry. You have come to the right place and we are here to help you.