Legal & Safety
13-17
Sextortion: The Emergency Playbook
A critical guide on responding to digital blackmail and image-based abuse.
THE CRISIS
Sextortion is a form of exploitation where a criminal tricks a person into sharing intimate content and then uses that content to blackmail them for money or more images. In 2026, these scams are often run by international organized crime rings.
THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
1. Stop All Communication: Do not negotiate with the scammer. Do not pay them. Paying only proves you are a viable target and they will ask for more.
2. Disable Your Accounts: Temporarily deactivating your social media accounts stops the scammer from easily finding your friends list to send the images to.
3. Preserve Evidence: Before you block the user, take screenshots of their profile, the conversation, and any payment details they sent.
4. Report to the Authorities: Use the UK Report-Remove tool or contact CEOP. These organizations can help prevent the image from being uploaded to major social networks using digital hashing technology.
THE RECOVERY
Tell a trusted adult immediately. You are the victim of a crime, and you should not face the psychological pressure alone. Professionals can help scrub the content from the web and involve the police.
Sextortion is a form of exploitation where a criminal tricks a person into sharing intimate content and then uses that content to blackmail them for money or more images. In 2026, these scams are often run by international organized crime rings.
THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
1. Stop All Communication: Do not negotiate with the scammer. Do not pay them. Paying only proves you are a viable target and they will ask for more.
2. Disable Your Accounts: Temporarily deactivating your social media accounts stops the scammer from easily finding your friends list to send the images to.
3. Preserve Evidence: Before you block the user, take screenshots of their profile, the conversation, and any payment details they sent.
4. Report to the Authorities: Use the UK Report-Remove tool or contact CEOP. These organizations can help prevent the image from being uploaded to major social networks using digital hashing technology.
THE RECOVERY
Tell a trusted adult immediately. You are the victim of a crime, and you should not face the psychological pressure alone. Professionals can help scrub the content from the web and involve the police.