Last Updated on July 7, 2023

Facebook has become one of the top social media platforms that have been raided by blackmailers. Users have reported that they have been tricked into sending explicit content and then blackmailed into sending large quantities of money to keep their content from being posted online. If this is the case for you, keep reading to find out how sextortion is affecting Facebook and how to report blackmail on Facebook.

How Often Does Facebook Sextortion Happen?

Based on the fact that sextortionists use social media as their primary form of contact with their victims, Facebook sextortion is rapidly growing. Thorn, an organization that combats child trafficking and sexual exploitation of children has shown statistics on where sextortion occurs online.

Being that Facebook is a platform that has all of the qualities a sextortionist needs to lure victims in, sextortion occurs shockingly often on the platform. Facebook allows users to video chat and send images and videos to one another which is exactly what sextortionists need to try to convince their victims into sharing content. The platform also has a dating site, “Facebook Dating” and offers games that allow sextortionists other ways to reach out to potential victims.

If you think about the constant sketchy messages you receive from random Facebook accounts online claiming you have won a prize and need to fill in some information to claim it, this should also give you an idea of how often online sextortion can occur on the platform.  They utilize bots and links. Links can be malware Once a person clicks on a link is when things can turn bad and people’s private information and content end up in the wrong set of hands.

What is The Most Common Form of Blackmail on Facebook?

Sextortion can happen in many ways but the most common is by catfish accounts. Sextortionists have come up with a successful tactic in which they create dozens of believable Facebook profiles of attractive men and women and reach out to strangers to start romantic and or sexual relationships. The idea of exchanging explicit content comes into the conversation.Once images or videos are sent, is when a sextortionist threatens to publish the lewd content online if they do not receive compensation.

How to Report Someone Blackmailing You on Facebook

It is important to know how to report blackmail on the platform. Here are 4 steps on how to report someone for blackmail on Facebook.

1. Go to your blackmailer’s Facebook profile and click on the three dots towards the top of their page.  Click all that apply to your situation.
2. Head to your chat where the harassing messages are and report the conversation as well. This will provide Facebook with proof of the blackmail.
3. Check out Facebook’s help center where they offer resources to better understand sextortion and how to avoid it.
4. Lastly, we also highly recommend reporting the crime to authorities. This should be your local law enforcement precinct and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, as well as blackmail experts.

If you have been the victim of blackmail on Facebook, it is important to take action immediately. You can find help and report the incident by visiting the Facebook Help Center. Remember, you are not alone, and there is support available for you. The best option is to report Facebook Extortion or online blackmail to sextortion helpline. Thank you for reading our guide on how to report blackmail on Facebook.