Being Blackmailed on Snapchat? Here's What to Do

Infopackets Reader Drew W. writes:

" Dear Dennis,

I was randomly added by a female on Snapchat and she asked me what I looked like. We hit it off, and then she asked for some inappropriate photos of myself. A few minutes later, she showed me pictures of my Instagram follower and said if I didn't pay, they would be sent to my followers. I have already sent $400 and was provided video proof of my photos being deleted. However, she is now demanding another $100 to 'delete for good', whatever that means. I already received SMS text messages from 4 other phone numbers demanding higher amounts. They must have got my number from Snapchat. She told me to block the other numbers and to only deal with her. I'm not sure what to do. I need help! "

My response:

Unfortunately you've fallen prey to a very sinister scheme known as sextortion.

The method you're describing sounds an awful lot like a widely used Philippine scheme whereby they typically ask for X amount of dollars, you finagle a deal for less than the original amount, send the money, they provide proof that the video was 'deleted,' only to turn around and ask for more.

Generally speaking:

1. Some scammers will seek immediate retribution if you don't pay. Some don't.
    
2. If you pay anything at all, they will never stop asking for more - even if you pay "the full amount."
    
3. The scammers almost always work in groups and share your information within the group. It's organized crime. Per your example, they often fight over each other for your money, which is why you were told to block the other numbers. I know this because I've worked on over 1,000 cases. Even if you do block the numbers, it won't matter because they have access to other phone numbers using apps on their phone (such as TextNow and Hush); as such, blocking a phone number won't stop the threats or whether or not they follow through with those threats.
    
4. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning. The scammers have a bunch of dirty tricks they use to force you to pay if you don't know any better. I happen to know better because I've worked on Snapchat blackmail cases over 1,000 times since 2019 with clients and know all the tricks and traps. Need help? Contact me here.

So, What Are Your Options?

1. You can block them and hope they go away. Sometimes this works, but most of the time it doesn't because scammers are very creative when it comes to finding ways to communicate with you - whether it's through your Instagram page, your phone number, your email, or through family and friends. The fact is: this scam brings in a lot of money for scammers and they are extremely determined - and especially because they work in groups.
    
2. You can report the incident to the FBI via ic3.org. I have mentioned this many times in my past articles: reporting to the ic3 is a waste of time in terms of preventing the scammers from exposing you. The only thing the ic3 is good for is collecting your data and producing annual crime reports like this one. That is it.
    
3. You can report the scammer to Snapchat or Instagram. This does very little to stop them. The scammers own multiple fake accounts on social media and as soon as one is blocked, they will use another to continue to terrorize you.
    
4. You can shutdown your account on Instagram. This is not advised because this won't stop them from reaching out to your contact because they already downloaded and have archived this information. Also - speaking from experience - shutting down the account usually escalates the matter because this signals that you're trying to run away. In this case, a lot of times the scammers will start reaching out to family and friends to prove a point and to bring you back to the table to bargain for more money.
    
5. You can report the incident to the police, but the scammers are typically anonymous and overseas (Africa and the Philippines usually) and the police will be able to do very little, if anything at all. Even if you had the scammer's IP address, most police don't care. I know, because I've worked on a number of cases where the victim was able to retrieve the IP address and the police did absolutely nothing about it.
    
6. You can hire an online lawyer and get a cease and desist letter, but that will set you back around $3,000 + $400 an hour to speak to them (last I heard), and will do little to prevent your exposure especially if the scammer is overseas. The only time I would recommend going to a lawyer is if you know 1000% sure who the person is that is blackmailing you and they are in your country. On a side note: even if you have the scammer's phone number and "name" because you sent money using a wire service, it's probably fake, so don't go by that.
    
7. You can hire a company to scare the scammer away. One infamous company that claims to ID the scammer (using an IP address) also claims to scare the scammer away by giving them a cease and desist letter. This company currently has a D+ rating on the Better Business Burea (BBB.org) and has had hundreds of complaints lodged against them. Scaring a scammer rarely ever work because (a) they are in another country, (b) they are anonymous, and (c) they work in groups.

A Better Solution

You could hire me to help you. I help clients by explaining how the scam operates, what dirty tricks scammers use to force you to pay, and how to stop it from happening to you - including preventing your exposure based on the many typical attack methods scammer use. If you know how the scam operates, you can foil their plans.

My experience in working on over 1,000+ cases has provided me with exceptional insight. If you understand what's really happening, how to respond, you can defeat blackmail. Don't take my word for it - look at the real reviews on my Better Business Bureau page. Most cases are resolved within 1 to 3 days at a fair and reasonable rate. We are also A+ accredited by the Better Business Bureau and have been online for 23 years with zero complaints.

If you have questions and would like to discuss your case, feel free to reach out to me.

Related:

• How long does sextortion last?
• Do blackmailers follow through?
• Sextortion - what to do, and what not to do

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).