Facebook Messenger Blackmail Help

Online blackmail is when someone threatens to publicly expose a victim’s sensitive information unless their specific demands are met. On Facebook Messenger, this often occurs when a user unwittingly grants a malicious actor access to their personal data.

Through phishing scams, criminals will pose as a trusted friend or institution to trick the victim into clicking on a malicious link or visiting a harmful webpage. They may also use fake accounts to lure unsuspecting users into an online relationship where private data — like images, videos, or financial information — is exchanged. Once the perpetrator gains access to the victim’s data, they begin the online blackmail.

Stopping online blackmail is not always straightforward. In fact, the anonymity of the criminal can actually make the process quite complex. However, there are steps you can take for your protection and safety. Take note of the following steps when dealing with Facebook Messenger blackmail.

1. Don’t engage. Cut off communication with the blackmailer the moment you receive a threat. Any further engagement will only encourage the perpetrator to continue the barrage of attempts to pressure you into compliance. However, giving in to their demands will only escalate the situation further, as they then would see you as being vulnerable to their demands.
2. Preserve evidence. In order for law enforcement or cybercrime experts to launch an investigation, they need evidence of the blackmail. You should take screenshots of messages, profiles involved, and any other proof of the crime.
3. Notify the authorities. Your local law enforcement is a valuable resource if you are facing online blackmail. They can help you file an official report, documenting the crime and your evidence. The police can also direct your case to their Cyber Crime Unit for a potential investigation. You should also report the blackmail to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The FBI isn’t restricted to local jurisdictions and they can use the reports to track national cybercrime trends.
4. Protect your account. One of the best things you can do in the event of a security breach is make sure that it can’t happen again so easily. During online blackmail, you should check your accounts and devices for any unauthorized users. Make sure to update your two-factor authentication and review your account recovery information. You can also check Facebook to see if any unfamiliar devices are signed into your account.

While it may be tempting, blocking the perpetrator can end up making things worse. Blackmailers are unpredictable and it’s difficult to know what their true intentions are. However, angering the perpetrator, with confrontation or by blocking them, can cause them to publicly expose your sensitive information out of retaliation. Blocking them may also delete evidence from your messages that could be crucial to your case. Instead of blocking, we recommend reporting the user, as this can lead to their account being removed anonymously.

Facebook Messenger has an anonymous reporting system for users to report any behavior that violates their community standards. If you want to report blackmail on Facebook Messenger, follow these steps:

To report blackmail on mobile:

1. Open a conversation thread.
2. Press and hold a message until a menu
3. Select “More” and then “Report”.
4. Choose the option that best fits your situation.
5. You can also reach the same reporting options by visiting the user’s Messenger profile and selecting “Report”.

To report blackmail on a computer:

1. Open a conversation thread.
2. Click on the three dots next to a message and select “Report”.
3. Choose the option that best fits your circumstance.

Facebook Messenger has many privacy and safety settings that can help users avoid scammers on the platform. For one, users can turn off their activity status. This prevents others from seeing when you are online or not. Simply go into the settings and switch your “Activity Status” to “Off”.

The platform also allows users to control who can and cannot message them. To set this up, open settings and select “Privacy and Safety”. From there, click on “Message Delivery” and decide what type of messages go directly into your inbox, are sent to message requests, or are blocked entirely.

Lastly, read receipts allow other users to see when you’ve read a message. However, blackmailers can use this against you. You can turn read receipts off by opening your settings and selecting “Privacy and Safety”. From there, click on “Read Receipts”.

At Cyber Investigation Inc., we have years of experience fighting cybercrime and always put the safety of the victims first. Our team understands how criminals operate and has the expertise to stay one step ahead. With over 220 ratings and an average of 4.9 out of 5, our team takes pride in being a trusted source of support for blackmail victims in need.