If someone is threatening to share your photos or videos, it can feel frightening and urgent. You are not alone, it is not your fault, and there are steps that help.
If you are in immediate danger, call 112. If you are under 18, please tell a parent, teacher or another adult you trust today. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
1. What is happening?
Threatening to share someone’s intimate images unless they pay or send more is often called sextortion. It can start with a flirty chat, a video call that is secretly recorded, a hacked account, or even fake images made with editing tools. It is a crime, and the person being threatened is not the one who did something wrong.
2. Don’t pay, and don’t send more
Paying rarely ends the threats. People who pay are often asked for more. Sending extra photos or videos gives the other person more to threaten you with. You don’t have to reply at all.
3. Save evidence before you block
- Take screenshots of the threats, showing the username or number and the date and time.
- Copy the link to their profile and any posts.
- Note any payment details they send, such as a UPI ID or account number.
Don’t forward, re-upload or share the intimate images themselves, even as proof. Describe them instead.
4. Block and report the account
After saving evidence, block the person on every app where they can reach you and report the account. Check your privacy settings, and consider making your social media accounts private for now so they can’t message your friends or family.
On BeAnon, you will be able to block and report a user from the chat. See the Safety Center.
5. Report it to the authorities
Report the threat on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, or visit your nearest police station or cyber cell. If you have already paid, call 1930 as soon as possible. You can also report the calls or messages on Chakshu on Sanchar Saathi. Our guide to reporting online harassment in India covers each step.
6. Get the images taken down
- Report to the platform. Under India’s IT Rules, 2021, platforms must remove content showing nudity, sexual acts or morphed images of you within 24 hours of your complaint. If the in-app report doesn’t work, contact the platform’s grievance officer.
- Adults (18+): use StopNCII.org. It creates a digital fingerprint of the image on your own device, so the image isn’t uploaded, and participating platforms use it to detect and block matching copies.
- Under 18: use Take It Down, which works in a similar way for images taken when someone was under 18, and report on cybercrime.gov.in.
7. If the images are fake
Some people threaten to share edited or AI-generated images. These are also covered by the takedown rules for morphed images, and you can report them in the same way. Save evidence, don’t engage, and report.
8. Look after yourself
This is a stressful thing to go through. Tell someone you trust, even if it feels embarrassing. You don’t have to handle it alone. If you feel overwhelmed, you can speak to a trained counsellor at Tele-MANAS by calling 14416.
9. Lowering the risk in future
- Don’t share intimate photos or go on intimate video calls with people you have only met online.
- Be wary of someone who moves quickly to flirting and wants to switch apps. Read how to spot an online friendship or romance scam.
- Turn on two-step verification for your accounts.
FAQ
Should I pay if someone threatens to leak my photos?
No. Paying rarely stops the threats and often leads to more demands. Stop replying, save evidence, block and report the account, and report it on cybercrime.gov.in.
How do I get my photos removed from a website or app?
Report the content to the platform. Under India’s IT Rules, 2021, content showing nudity or morphed images must be removed within 24 hours of a complaint. Adults can also use StopNCII.org.
What if I’m under 18?
Tell an adult you trust, report it on cybercrime.gov.in and use Take It Down to help remove the images. You are not in trouble for asking for help.
What if the photos are fake?
Edited or AI-generated images can be reported and removed in the same way as real ones. Save evidence, don’t engage and report it.
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