Being Blackmailed on Google Chat? Here's What to Do

Infopackets Reader Shane J. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

Help - I'm being blackmailed on Google Chat!

Two days ago I received a friend request on Facebook from a woman who lives in my city. At first I didn't recognize her, but she says she went to my high school. Eventually we ended up chatting outside of Facebook using Google Chat (previously Google Hangouts), and that's when she sent me some revealing photos of herself.

She asked me to reciprocate. As soon as I did, the video chat ended immediately. She texted me and said if I don't pay her money she would send the video to friends and family. She sent pictures of people I know - including my wife - on Facebook as proof.

She's promised to send me video proof that my pictures were deleted, but wants $15,000 in return. I managed to negotiate down to $300. She told me to wire the money to Ivory Coast, Africa using MoneyGram. The next day, I received confirmation that the money was picked up. After that, I received another text from a different phone number stating that I needed to pay more.

I asked her who the other person was that texted me. She says it's her boss but I have to deal with her directly - whatever that means?!

They have tried to call me numerous times from new phone numbers, but I haven't answered the phone. She wants to put me on a payment plan of $500 a month until 'the full amount' of $15,000 has been paid. I have a feeling this is never going to end! On top of that, I have to check in with them every so often or they will start threatening me. I am married and I don't know what to do and I NEED HELP NOW! "

My response:

I have been helping clients with this scam since 2019 and I can say unequivocally that the online romance scammers are incredibly vicious and aggressive.

This type of scam is also known as a sextortion scam or romance scam.

Here's how the scam works in general -

Most victims inadvertently meet the scammer under false pretenses (i.e. the scammer is posing as someone else). Quite often the scam originates on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and dating sites, but is not limited to just those sites. Scammers will often ask for your phone number directly (so they can find out your real name using reverse lookup), or have you to move to another platform to continue the conversation.

Other names for this scam include: Google Chat blackmail (previously Google Hangouts blackmail), Facebook blackmail, or the Instagram blackmail scam, and Snapchat blackmail.

These scams are effectively the same. They all have two things in common: (a) scammers will try to get a photo or video of you in a compromised situation; and (b) once they have this information, they will threaten to reach out to your contacts - usually family members - usually on Facebook, Instagram, and sometimes on LinkedIn.

The scammers use Facebook and Instagram as leverage because half the world's population has either a Facebook or an Instagram account. On top of that, most users have contacts associated with either platform. Scammers use the contacts as leverage when it comes to making threats.

Origin of Online Romance Scams

Most of the time, this crime takes place overseas and run by large criminal organizations that rake in millions of dollars a year. I know this based on annual FBI reports and also based on my thousands of hours helping victims with this awful crime.

Quite often the scams originate in Africa, Philippines, Morocco, India and Columbia. I know this because that's what victims tell me when they send money. Most of the time it is not a single person operating this scam, but a large criminal organization.

Local Police and Lawyers Won't Help

Based on what clients have told me: if you call your local police for help, there is little that the police can actually do.

The reason for this is because the scammers are anonymous (even if you have information that suggests otherwise). Moreover, the scammers are usually overseas, which means that it's not within police jurisdiction.

Also, scammers don't care about the law because they already know what they are doing is illegal. If you decide to threaten them with the police or a lawyer, it can backfire very easily, which means that the probability of being exposed will increase.

There are ways around the situation, and I'll describe that below.

Related:

• Sextortion: what to do and what not to do
• How long does sextortion last?
• Do blackmailers follow through (and what to expect)?

Blackmailed on Google Chat? Here's What to Do

The best advice when dealing with these Google Hangout blackmail scammers is not to pay them in the first place.

Unfortunately this is easier said than done and won't make them go away. Furthermore, scammers quite often don't take 'no' for an answer. Most people I talk to have already paid the scammers because they were under the impression that they would be left alone after payment was made.

The fact is: if you've already agreed to pay some of the money - you're now on the hook and they'll expect you to pay more. Worse yet, the scammers will never stop asking for more money, no matter how much you pay. The end result in the same: they will continue to make threats, even if you "negotiate" a lower rate, and even if you pay the amount in full.

So, what are your options?

1. Don't pay the scammers. As I mentioned, this is easier said than done because the scammers won't take no for an answer. Oftentimes they will start reaching out to people you know to prove that they aren't going anywhere. If you want better proven strategies, then consider contacting me for help.
    
2. Close your social media accounts. Unfortunately this won't stop the scammers from contacting your friends and family (often through social media) because they already made a copy of all your contacts. They don't need your account up and running in order for them to contact people you know - they can just use their account to do it. Also, shutting down your accounts signals to the scammers that you're running away and likely not to pay them. In turn, some scammers will seek retribution for wasting their time.
    
3. Block the blackmailers. While this is the #1 recommendation from police, it won't make them go away easily. Based on my experience: a lot of times ignoring the blackmailer will backfire because they are likely to get mad and seek retribution for not paying them. You have a 50% chance of being exposed, so if you don't care what the outcome might be, then go ahead and block them.
    
4. Hire a professional like myself to mitigate your case. I have worked on over 1000+ cases and know this scam inside and out. I know what the scammers can and can't do, how to limit your exposure, and have worst-case scenarios and solutions to these problems (based on previous cases I've worked on) to make sure you don't get put in the same worst-case situation. I also have various ways to deal with what to say to your wife or girlfriend in case the scammers end up making contact. The scam varies by region of the world, but overall, the outcomes are similar.
   
   My plan of action can be implemented right away, typically takes 1-3 days to complete the process, and is done with a very reasonable fee. I support all my clients by phone and by email and getting a hold of me is very easy to do. I am also very reliable and timely in my response. If you are interested in speaking to me by phone, simply contact me and leave a brief message.

Additional Resources

Here are some related articles from Google Hangouts and Facebook:

• What You Need to Know About Romance Scams from the FTC
• What should I do if someone shares an intimate photo of me without my permission?
• How to Report Things on Facebook (above link is more specific)

Feeling Overwhelmed? Not Sure What to Do? Need Help?

If you are being blackmailed online through Google Chat, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or some other social media platform, contact me now using our online form and don't forget to leave your phone number. I will call you back as soon as possible.

I have a very high success rate in making the scammers go away as I have been dealing with this scam since 2019 and have lots of information to share with you, plus a solid plan to end the madness. Our website and business has been operating now for 23 years and has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau  with zero complaints.

About the author: Dennis Faas is the CEO and owner of Infopackets.com. Since 2001, Dennis has dedicated his entire professional career helping others with technology-related issues with his unique style of writing in the form of questions-and-answers; click here to read all 2,000+ of Dennis' articles online this site. In 2014, Dennis shifted his focus to cyber crime mitigation, including technical support fraud and in 2019, sextortion. Dennis has received many accolades during his tenure: click here to view Dennis' credentials online DennisFaas.com; click here to see Dennis' Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science (1999); click here to read an article written about Dennis by Alan Gardyne of Associate Programs (2003). And finally, click here to view a recommendation for Dennis' services from the University of Florida (dated 2006).