Last Updated on June 20, 2025

Instagram’s entire platform revolved around sharing photos and videos. Their logo is a camera, after all. As with many platforms where exchanging media is possible, sextortion has become a growing problem on Instagram. The evolution of generative AI and deepfake technology has made sextortion possible in cases where no intimate content was shared. As a result, all users need to be aware of the risks of Instagram sextortion and how to report it.

How Sextortion Occurs on Instagram

The scam typically kicks off with the perpetrator contacting you through a fake account created with fabricated details and stolen images. A more technically-savvy sextortionist may even compromise the account of a trusted individual. Regardless, they often begin buttering you up by using the information they’ve learned from your profile to appeal to your interests.

Things quickly become steamy as the perpetrator begins aggressively flirting before proposing the idea of exchanging nudes. Instagram allows users to share images both publicly and in private DMs, making this possible without having to switch platforms. The sextortionist may even send a fake or stolen image to initiate the swap.

Once the victim agrees to send an intimate photo, the curtain is pulled back and the perpetrator’s true intentions become clear. They begin threatening to expose your nudes unless you pay them. They may send you a screenshot with a drafted message containing your content ready to be sent to a group chat with your followers. What’s more, they may opt to post your content publicly.

How Does Instagram Help Sextortion Victims?

Instagram has tools in place to allow victims to report sextortion on the platform and receive help and support from dedicated resources. Furthermore, they are currently testing new features to be implemented that will expedite this process.

Tools to Prevent NCII Abuse

• Take It Down Tool: Meta was one of the founding members of Take It Down, a tool run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The tool helps remove intimate images of minors and prevent their resharing, and it can be accessed through Instagram’s platform.
• org: Similar to Take It Down, StopNCII.org is a tool for adult users who have had their nudes shared non-consensually. Likewise, Instagram provides an avenue for users to access this tool within the platform.
• Lantern: Instagram is a participant in the Lantern program, an initiative to connect technology companies and allow them to share intel on sextortionists across platforms. This is integral since many perpetrators operate through numerous accounts on multiple online networks.
• Blurred Content and Warnings: Instagram is preparing to roll out features that blur nude content in direct messages and warn recipients prior to opening. Additionally, users will be warned before sending explicit content. These features will be automatically enabled for minors, and adults will be prompted to enable them.
• Sextortion Account Detection: Instagram is also developing technology that recognizes accounts that are participating in sextortion-related activities. Direct Messages from these accounts will be sent straight to the recipients hidden requests folder. Furthermore, minor accounts will not be reachable by flagged accounts.

How to Report Instagram Sextortion: Who Should Victims Inform?

Victims of Instagram sextortion need to act quickly to notify the proper authorities of the offense. This helps mitigate the damage and connects the victim with resources who can help them take action. Furthermore, it allows law enforcement and social media providers to gain insight into the latest cybercrime trends, creating a safer environment for all users.

Reporting Options on the Platform

Instagram provides an avenue for users to report profiles and shared content on the platform. The reporting process varies slightly for each, so we will cover the processes below:

• Reporting an Account:
  • Open the profile you wish to report
  • Click the three dots next to their username
  • Select the ‘Report’ option
  • Follow the on-screen instructions and submit your report
• Reporting a Post:
  • Open the post containing your intimate photos
  • Click the three dots above the post
  • Select the ‘Report’ option
  • Follow the on-screen instructions and submit your report
• Reporting a Direct Message:
  • Open the chat and hover over the message you’d like to report
  • Click the three dots next to the message
  • Select the ‘Report’ option and choose the reason which best fits your situation
  • Follow the on-screen instructions and submit your report

Reporting to Law Enforcement

• Local Police: As with any cybercrime, you should begin notifying the authorities by filing a report with your local police precinct. They may be able to help if your sextortionist is within close proximity to you. If not, you’ve successfully ruled out a local threat and have valuable documentation of the crime committed against you.
• National Agency: Your next step should be to inform your national law enforcement agency. In the United States, the FBI is responsible for fielding reports of cybercrime. You can file a report at your local FBI field office or online through their Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

How Professional Investigators Can Help

Dealing with the emotional toll of Instagram sextortion is exhausting enough on its own. Having to collect evidence, maintain the chain of custody, and produce the findings in accordance with regulations is a tall task for one individual to handle — if at all possible.

This is where professional digital investigators can be a huge asset. These experts can investigate your case, using advanced techniques like IP-tracing and metadata analysis to uncover the culprit and prove their guilt.

Reputable investigation firms will document their entire process, which ensures that the chain of custody is preserved. Your report can then be used to build your case and serve as evidence in future legal proceedings.

Staying Safe Moving Forward: How to Protect Yourself Online

Unfortunately, the threat of Instagram Sextortion is never a zero-risk. As new safety features are implemented, creative cybercriminals will find a way to work around them. This doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the platform and feel secure in your interactions. Be mindful of these suggested practices to increase your safety and enjoyment on Instagram:

• Increase Your Privacy Settings: Set your profile to private, limit who can reach you through DMs, and heavily vet your followers. We understand that a high follower count can feel like a symbol of social status, but it’s not worth the risk for accounts that aren’t run for business.
• Use Strong Passwords: Use unique passwords that use a combination of cases, numbers, and special characters and update them regularly. You should also enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on Instagram and any online platforms that provide the option.
• Avoid Oversharing: Instagram is like a window into your life. You wouldn’t leave the curtains drawn and the window open for anyone to enter your home. Instagram is much the same. Avoid revealing personal information to limit your potential exposure on the platform.
• Trust Your Gut: If something feels off about an interaction online, listen to your instincts and end the conversation. It is possible that the person on the other end could be harmless, but the presence of sextortionists on the platform requires a zero-trust approach.

Last Updated on June 18, 2025

Victims of sextortion are flooded with a variety of intense thoughts and feelings. As their head spins and they try to digest the situation at hand, one question stands out above the rest: “Will they actually follow through?” The answer is not cut-and-dried. There are many factors at play that can alter the exposure risk. Read on to learn if your sextortionist will follow through, what could cause or deter them from doing so, and what you can do to protect yourself.

Will Your Sextortionist Follow Through?

Unfortunately, there is no foolproof answer to the question of whether your sextortionist will follow through. Some studies have shown as low as 10% of perpetrators follow through, while others have found as high as 45% carry out their threats. However, the chances of a sextortionist following through are heavily dependent on the victim and how they respond.

What Causes a Sextortionist to Follow Through?

Whether a cybercriminal follows through with sextortion threats depends on several variables. Our team has determined that the following four factors can increase the risk of the victim’s content being exposed:

• The Victim: The social status of the victim can heavily determine the exposure risk of a sextortion threat. If the victim is a celebrity or a high-profile individual, the sextortionist may be more inclined to follow through due to the potential reputational damage it would cause.
• Previous Compliance: If a victim meets the sextortionist’s demands, it creates an expectation for future payments. It can also push sextortionists to follow through as a means to ramp up their attacks.
• Confrontation: Many sextortion victims try to push back against their assailant through their digital conversations. It is natural to feel angry after receiving such threats. However, responding confrontationally may drive them to release the content in retaliation.
• Hasty Decisions: Cybercriminals are unpredictable and ruthless in their pursuit of your money. They can act irrationally if they sense you will not comply, and this may lead them to impulsively release their leverage.

What Deters a Sextortionist from Following Through?

• Loss of Leverage: The entire sextortion scheme is contingent upon leveraging the threat of exposing the victim’s content. If the perpetrator follows through on their sextortion threats, they can no longer hold the content over their victim’s head.
• Increased Chance of Being Caught: By releasing the content, the sextortionist adds another crime to their record: non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse. With federal laws like the TAKE IT DOWN act, there is a higher risk of being held accountable if they follow through.
• Professional Assistance: Working with cyber security experts can help you obtain the evidence necessary to get your sextortionist to back off. Through advanced techniques, these experts can uncover the identity and location of the perpetrator. This information can then be used to encourage them to abandon their attack.

The Role of Online Platforms

If a sextortionist does follow through on their threats, they need a platform to spread their victim’s intimate content. Some platforms have put in place safeguards with various degrees of success. Others provide little-to-no support for victims of NCII abuse.

Platforms that Enable Sextortion Follow Through

• WhatsApp: The messaging platform fails to provide content controls, allowing for exposure without any blurring or warning. Instead, WhatsApp currently relies on users to flag and remove accounts associated with sextortion, which can take time and is often ineffective.
• Discord: Gaming platforms were the fourth-highest entry point for sextortion, according to a 2025 Study from Digital Forensics Corp. As one of the most popular gaming communication platforms, Discord servers allow explicit images to be shared and received without any preventative measures. Users have to inform Discord administrators of the situation to prevent nude leaks on the platform.
• Twitter/X: The social media network does not have any safety procedures in place that would prevent exposure through the platform. Currently, the only option for victims is flagging the posts and the sextortionist’s account to the system administrator.

Platforms that are Taking Action Against Sextortion

• Meta: The social media conglomerate employs AI-based filters on both Instagram and Facebook to detect and blur explicit media and issue a “sensitive content” warning. However, it does not stop the recipient from viewing the post. Instead, they require users to flag the content as NCII abuse for it to be removed and utilize hash-based matching tools to prevent its resharing.
• Snapchat: Snapchat also uses AI-powered detection to flag and warn users before viewing explicit content. However, it does not prevent viewing unless the recipient is a minor or has parental controls enabled.
• TikTok: The video platform is one of the only social media networks where sextortion follow-through cannot occur. The social network prevents the sharing of any sexually explicit media — consensual or otherwise. Additionally, they have implemented safety features that issue warnings for links that lead to external exposure sites.

What You Can Do When Facing Sextortion

• Cut off Communication: Avoid blocking the sextortionist until you’ve completed your investigation, but don’t engage them any further besides stalling for time. Never indulge their demands, as this only emboldens them to push further.
• Collect Evidence: Take screenshots of any information that could potentially reveal the perpetrator’s identity and any messages or content that will help you reconstruct the timeline of events.
• Report the Sextortionist: Inform law enforcement and the platform administrator of the crime that has been committed. Doing so can hold the criminal accountable and prevent them from harming you or others in the future.
• Ask for Help: We know that sextortion is an extremely embarrassing and isolating crime. However, you don’t need to face it alone. Talking to your family, friends, or a trusted professional can take some of the weight off your shoulders.

Resources for Victims: Who Can Help if Your Sextortionist Follows Through?

Sextortion is something no victim should ever have to face alone. There are numerous resources available that can help victims respond to sextortion and have their intimate content removed from the internet. They include:

• Take It Down: This free online tool is designed to help victims of sextortion remove images of them that were taken when they were under 18 years of age. The tool uses hash-based matching to remove such images and prevent their resharing.
• StopNCII.org: Similar to “Take It Down”, StopNCII.org is a hash-based matching tool for adult victims of NCII abuse. Operated by the Revenge Porn Hotline, the tool has helped remove over 200,000 intimate images with a removal rate above 90%.
• Cyber Investigation Inc: Our experts see cases like this every day. Through proprietary technology and advanced techniques in metadata analyses and IP-to-location, we can uncover the identity of the perpetrator and initiate the deletion of your private data.

Last Updated on June 18, 2025

If you’re using Facebook, you need to be vigilant. Sextortion is growing at a rapid pace, and Facebook is one of the largest platforms for the crime. The social media giant is plagued with billions of fake accounts. In fact, Facebook estimates that 3% of their monthly active users are fake accounts. Though some of these fraudulent profiles are harmless, many of them are run by sextortionists just waiting to target their next victim. So, how do you protect yourself from Facebook sextortion, and how can you deal with it if you’re being targeted? Continue reading to find out.

How Does Sextortion on Facebook Work?

Sextortion is when a person threatens to expose someone else’s explicit images or videos unless the victim meets their demands. On Facebook, sextortionists will use a fake profile with stolen images or an account impersonating someone you know. They will initially use the profile to send you a friend request and a direct message, showing interest in you. Once you engage with their message, they begin spinning a deceptive web disguised as an authentic connection.

Gaining Your Trust

At this stage, the main goal of a sextortionist is to gain your trust. They will weaponize excessive flattery, provide constant attention, and fake emotional vulnerability to create the illusion of a deep connection. Mirroring is also a common manipulative tactic by perpetrators, adapting their interests, beliefs, and life experiences to match the victim’s.

After enough trust is built with the victim, they will attempt to fast-track the relationship to an intimate level and move the conversation off Facebook to instant messaging platforms. Many of these messaging platforms have less oversight, ensuring that there is no disruption to their scheme.

A Cruel Trick

This is when the sextortionist will suggest trading explicit images or videos, typically offering to go first to dispel any suspicions. However, this is their cruel trick. They lure unsuspecting users into sending explicit images or videos of themselves, at which point they drop their friendly façade and threaten to publicly expose the content. The only way they offer to keep the content private is if the victim meets their demands.

How To Deal with Facebook Sextortion

When your privacy is weaponized against you, it creates a sense of violation, betrayal, and fear that can have long-lasting effects. Victims may feel a loss of control over their own body image and personal life. If you are dealing with Facebook sextortion, you may feel isolated, helpless, and afraid. However, you can take back control. Here are some steps to take when facing sextortion.

• Do Not Cooperate: A sextortionist will have demands that they want you to meet. They will also expect a response to their threats. However, you should never comply with the perpetrator and instead cease communication when the threat of sextortion is made. Any further responses will only encourage the culprit to continue targeting you.
• Preserve Evidence: Cybercrime experts in law enforcement and private firms rely on evidence to perform an investigation. That’s why it’s essential to preserve the proof of sextortion. You can do this by taking screenshots of the messages and profiles used, along with anything else that is relevant to the case.
• Notify the Platform: Facebook has an anonymous, built-in system for reporting any behavior that violates their community standards. Threats of sextortion can be flagged on the platform, and in many cases, Facebook will respond by removing the account.
• Notify the Authorities: Local law enforcement is an essential resource for victims of sextortion. They can help you file an official complaint, which may be used to launch an investigation or serve as evidence in future court proceedings.

How Widespread Is Sextortion on Facebook?

Facebook has transformed into a hub of online activity, offering functions like Marketplace, Dating, and Groups for community building. However, all these features have also provided scammers with more ways to lure in potential victims. A key statistic comes from a 2024 Sextortion Study from Digital Forensic Corp.

The private security firm analyzed 1,000 sextortion cases in late December 2024. Of the sextortion cases that originated on social media platforms, 42% of them were traced back to Facebook. Sextortion has become one of the fastest growing cyber threats, and Facebook is one of the primary platforms used to commit the crime.

How Facebook Is Addressing the Rise in Sextortion

Meta has been combating sextortion and non-consensual intimate image abuse on their platform for close to a decade. In 2017, Meta partnered with Thorn to launch ‘Stop Sextortion’, a guide for sextortion victims, and to create educational articles about sextortion on Facebook’s Safety Center.

Meta also co-founded Lantern, the first cross platform signal-sharing program for online platforms to improve enforcement on child safety policies. The program brings tech companies together to investigate the activity of predators across platforms, allowing these platforms to uncover the full picture of harm.

Preventing the Spread of Intimate Image Abuse

Meta has taken many steps to fight intimate image abuse, but one of the most effective initiatives was supporting tools that proactively prevent the spread of nudes.

• For those under the age of 18, Meta co-founded the Take It Down tool, a platform run by the NCMEC to get rid of and prevent the reposting of CSAM on online platforms.
• For those over the age of 18, Meta has continued to support StopNCII.org, a tool created by the Revenge Porn Helpline to get rid of non-consensual intimate images and videos posted online.

Removing Fake Accounts

To reduce the number of scammers, Facebook is using automated systems to identify and get rid of fake accounts preemptively. In both the second and third quarters of 2024, they took action against over a billion fake accounts, many of them created with malicious intent.

Meta is also using investigative methods to discover malicious accounts before they can do harm. In the summer of 2024, Facebook found over 7,000 assets on the platform that were linked to a small group of Nigerian scammers. Despite all these efforts, Facebook sextortion has continued to rise and is only becoming more of a problem.

How to Stay Protected While Using Facebook

Facebook has been taking proactive steps to combat sextortion and scammers on their platform. They have also implemented many safety features to prevent scammers from reaching users. Consider the following tips on how to stay protected while using Facebook.

• Lock Down Your Account: Make sure your profile is set to private to limit who can view your posts. You can also limit who can send you friend requests by enabling the ‘Friends of Friends’ setting. Lastly, make sure your ‘Friends List’ is set to be viewed by ‘Only Me’. These privacy settings lower your risk of being targeted.
• Be Cautious with Friend Requests and Messages: Perpetrators will send unsolicited messages and friend requests to hundreds of people, looking for anyone to respond.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): If your password gets compromised, 2FA protects your account from being taken over. Make sure you have it enabled in your settings for extra protection.
• Stay Up to Date on Sextortion: Our blog at Cyber Investigation Inc. is full of educational articles that inform internet users of what they need to know about cybercrime. You’ll find valuable resources on how to prevent, respond to, and recover from sextortion as well as other common scams. Visit our blog to stay aware of the sextortion trends and the latest developments in cybercrime.

Last Updated on June 5, 2025

For 3.07 billion people around the world, Facebook is a digital extension of themselves. The social network allows users to connect with family, friends, colleagues, and unfortunately, sextortionists. Whether it’s a former partner looking for revenge, a cybercriminal trying to reach your DMs, or someone manufacturing explicit content using your photos, Facebook’s features allow sextortion to run rampant.

What is Sextortion on Facebook

Facebook provides a sextortionist with much of the information they need to pull off their scheme, all in one place. By connecting with their target on the platform, a cybercriminal can learn their location, profession, friends, family, and other personal information that can be exploited.

Sextortionists can easily create fake accounts and use this information to manufacture their target’s trust. And once they reach the point of requesting intimate content, they’re already on a platform that allows both public and private sharing of digital media.

How Facebook Sextortion Scams Typically Unfold

Sextortion can transpire in a lot of different ways on Facebook. You may connect with someone on a dating app before migrating to Messenger. It may come from a former real-life partner or someone you’ve never met.

Many sextortionists are part of organized crime rings in hot spots such as Nigeria, the Philippines, and the Ivory Coast. As such, a lot of their schemes follow a blueprint along the lines of the following:

• New Friend Request: You open your phone to see a notification that you’ve received a new friend request. You open the profile to see it’s an attractive, successful person around your age. Their profile looks so perfect you can hardly believe they are real.
• Shared Interests: After you accept the friend request, the account DMs you about a concert that you posted about. As it turns out, your new friend has the exact same taste in music as you.
• “Love Bombing”: Extremely early on, your new contact begins bombarding you with flirtatious compliments and declarations of love. Their messages are deeply passionate and extend past the boundaries of casual flirting.
• Intimate Exchange Initiation: Once they’ve successfully navigated the conversation to a sexual theme, your new connection introduces the idea of exchanging nudes. They may simply ask you to send them or initiate the transaction by sending some photos of “themselves”.
• Threats: The conversation takes a complete 180-degree turn the second you press send. Gone is the sweet-talking, suave suitor who showered you with compliments just moments prior. You are now being faced with the ultimatum of paying this person or having your nudes shared with your friends, family, and the rest of the world.

Common Red Flags of Facebook Sextortion

• Unfamiliar Profiles: You should take caution with accounts that are registered to people you don’t know in real life. While there are times when you get friend requests from a friend of a friend, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
• “Too Good to be True”: Listen to the voice in the back of your head. If this new person seems too perfect, their photos all look professionally done, and the entire interaction seems like it could never happen in real life — it’s probably a scam.
• Unusual Account Activity: The inverse of being too perfect, their account might raise concern for being too imperfect. Having an unusually high or low number of followers, strange posting habits, and long gaps of inactivity can all be signs of a fake or bot profile.
• Fast Movers: Sextortionists progress quickly. They want to create a sense of urgency to elude your inhibitions and coerce you into sending explicit content. Don’t let anyone online pressure you into a decision or behavior.
• Requests for Personal Info: You wouldn’t go to a shopping mall and walk up to a random person and begin telling them your banking information or account passwords. You shouldn’t disclose this data to a stranger online either, no matter how trustworthy their profile picture looks.

Sextortion Through Facebook Messenger

Messenger is a secondary application that allows Facebook users to send direct messages. Its end-to-end encryption feature is a nice added level of security, but it also attracts sextortionists looking to cover their tracks.

You may have met the person on an external platform, such as a dating app, forum site, or gaming platform, and they may have suggested moving the conversation to Messenger. The ability to exchange photos and engage in conversation with fewer restrictions makes Messenger a highly utilized platform for sextortion.

How to Respond to Facebook Sextortion

Sextortion threats on Facebook require a quick response, as these cases can progress rapidly. However, taking the wrong approach can be more detrimental than doing nothing at all. This all can be extremely overwhelming, but try to stay calm and proceed with the following:

• Cut off Communication and Don’t Comply: Don’t engage the sextortionist any further and never pay them. This only brings further requests and won’t solve the problem.
• Gather Evidence of the Crime: Take screenshots of their profile, photos, and any messages exchanged between you that display the nature of the abuse.
• Report the Perpetrator: File a report with your local police and work your way up to national agencies. You should also report the account to Meta to have it removed and protect the privacy of all Facebook users.
• Consider Cybersecurity Professionals: The right team of cybersecurity experts can help you identify your sextortionist, remove your content from their possession, protect your reputation, and restore your peace of mind.

Staying Safe in the Future: Preventing Facebook Sextortion Before It Starts

The best defense is a good offense. This adage applies to your online safety, too. Unfortunately, the next threat to your cybersecurity could be lurking around any corner of the internet. However, there are best practices you can implement to stay safe online:

• Secure Your Accounts: Limit who can see your posts on Facebook and reach you on Messenger by adjusting your privacy settings. Make sure nobody has unauthorized access to your account by checking your session history.
• Update Passwords: Use a strong, unique password for your Facebook account and update it regularly. Additionally, you should use two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your profile past your password.
• Avoid Oversharing: Avoid posting personal information, even if it seems innocuous. Each little fragment that you make public can be pieced together to create a persona that can deceitfully obtain your trust.
• Zero-Trust Mindset: You simply can’t trust internet users whose identity is unknown in real life. This means you need to be skeptical about your interactions. It’s possible to make genuine connections online, but you have every right to make them earn your trust.

Cyber Investigation Inc. Helps Victims Fight Back Against Facebook Sextortion

At Cyber Investigation Inc., we have years of experience handling sextortion cases across all online platforms, Facebook included. Our team understands how perpetrators of these crimes operate, and we have the tools and techniques to thwart their attempts.

Using the latest technology in IP tracing and metadata analysis, we can analyze your interactions to derive the origin of photos, the sender’s geolocation, and even the device they used to communicate with you. We can use this information to actuate the deletion of your content from their system.

The entire investigation is documented from start to finish to ensure the chain of custody is upheld. We have working relationships with law enforcement around the globe, allowing us to connect you with an agency that has jurisdiction to pursue the criminals involved.

We can continue to help after your case has been resolved. Our continual monitoring and security system testing can help you avoid similar threats in the future and safeguard your private data.

Sextortion on Facebook can be absolutely terrifying, but you must remember: It’s not your fault, and you are not alone. Cyber Investigation Inc. is here and happy to help. Reach out today for a free consultation and unfriend the sextortionist for good.

Last Updated on June 3, 2025

Many victims ask the question: “Can you sue someone for distributing your nudes without consent?” In most jurisdictions, the answer is yes. With the right support, you can pursue justice and limit the damage of your nudes being distributed.

It takes a team to unmask these scammers and bring them to justice. With the right professional assistance, you will have access to experienced cybercrime experts that can follow the digital trail left by the perpetrator and support your legal efforts.

Is It Illegal to Distribute Someone Else’s Nudes?

Where can you sue someone for distributing your nudes without your consent in the United States? Notable progress has been made at both the federal and state level when it comes to non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse, also commonly referred to as revenge porn. Nearly every state has passed laws against NCII abuse. However, there are nuances to the different state laws.

Understanding “Revenge Porn” and Non-Consensual Image Sharing Laws

Whether you can sue someone for distributing your nudes without consent or not depends on what jurisdiction you live in. The general legal definition of revenge porn is the intentional distribution of intimate images without consent. However, many states have minor variations in their definitions that can have a major impact on the legal process.

California requires an intent to cause emotional harm in their legal definition. On the other hand, New Jersey does not have that requisite. Another difference is in Ohio, where the legal definition of NCII abuse includes a requirement that the victim must be identifiable in the intimate content.

There are also sexual deepfakes that are being used for NCII abuse, and only 30 states have passed laws against non-consensual creation and distribution of deepfakes.  However, the TAKE IT DOWN act has recently been signed into law, making both deepfake and organic NCII abuse a federal offense.

Civil vs. Criminal Consequences

While criminal courts are for the government to punish citizens for behavior that violates the law, civil courts are used to resolve disputes between individuals or organizations. Revenge porn cases can involve either legal path. However, a lawsuit for unauthorized nude distribution often has a greater chance of success. Many victims sue their offenders for violation of privacy, for example.

Criminally, the punishments for non-consensual image sharing range from fines to years in prison. In Illinois, revenge porn is a felony, with those charged serving up to three years in prison. However, in Florida it is a misdemeanor. You should always consult with a legal professional for revenge porn legal help.

Platform Policies on Explicit Content

Social media and porn websites are commonly used for NCII abuse. With quick action, victims can remove their intimate content from the platform before it receives too much traffic. Most social media platforms have policies against non-consensual intimate image abuse, and victims can use these policies to protect themselves. You can report the scammer’s profile — along with the content they are attempting to distribute non-consensually — to the platform’s administrators.

Can You Sue Someone for Distributing Your Nudes?

We’ve established that you can sue someone for unauthorized distribution of your nudes in most places. However, identifying the criminal responsible is also an important step. This is why many cybercriminals protect their anonymity. Here are the three main factors to consider before you file a lawsuit for unauthorized nude distribution.

• Legal Grounds for a Lawsuit: Victims can sue for privacy violation, defamation, emotional duress, or violation of specific revenge porn laws, depending on the jurisdiction.
• Who Can be Held Liable: Sharing an intimate image that was sent to you is against the law. However, things can get complicated when it comes to resharing explicit content without consent. Not every state has clear laws about secondary distributors, which can make legal action unclear.
• Statute of Limitations: Typically ranging between one to four years, the statute of limitations also varies by jurisdiction. New York is a unique example. Victims have three years from the date the image was distributed non-consensually or one year from the date they discovered the image.

How Scammers Gain Access to Your Nudes

Of course, there are circumstances where perpetrators use the previous access they had to their former partner’s nudes for unauthorized distribution. However, many scammers are strangers, and they use digital tools to gain access to their victim’s nudes. There are four main methods that cybercriminal strangers use to gain unauthorized access to their victim’s nudes:

• Catfishing Scams: Using social media and online platforms, scammers will create false online personas to lure unsuspecting users into a sexually intimate relationship, eventually obtaining private, explicit material of the victim.
• Brute Force Attacks: Cybercriminals can gain access to your online accounts by using publicized login credentials from data breaches. They can use tools to try all possible combinations of usernames and passwords until one works.
• Using Malware: Many cybercriminals use malicious software — or malware — to access their target’s computer system or device. It is an effective tool to steal information and, in some cases, can even provide control over a device’s files and webcam.
• Phishing Scams: This is when scammers trick unsuspecting users into revealing sensitive information. Phishing scams often consist of the perpetrator posing as legitimate organizations on online platforms. They may spoof trusted emails, create fake profiles, or send text messages posing as trusted entities.

What To Do If Someone Has Your Nudes

If someone has your nudes, you need to assess the potential risks. Ask yourself questions like whether these people are dangerous to you, if they obtained these nudes non-consensually, and what you should do if someone has your nudes. There may be signs that the people with your nudes are willing to distribute them without your consent.

For example, the person may make demands in exchange for keeping your nudes private. Or the person may be a cybercriminal that gained access to your nudes illegally. If you think that your nudes are in danger of being distributed without your consent, you need to take action to protect yourself. You can sue someone for the unauthorized distribution of your nudes, but there are also many other ways to tackle NCII abuse.

Preserve Evidence

Preserving evidence is an essential practice when seeking justice against your offender. You will need solid evidence to file a lawsuit or if you want the perpetrator arrested. However, if the offender obtained your nudes consensually, legal actions available may be limited unless they distribute the nudes or explicitly state their intent to do so. Many cases of NCII abuse consist of a prior relationship and messages exchanged between the victim and perpetrator. Make sure to take screenshots, save messages, and document everything before it’s deleted.

Report to Platforms and Authorities

Law enforcement is a valuable resource for victims of NCII abuse. Local authorities can take action against known perpetrators and launch an investigation into anonymous ones.

Online platforms — like social media and dating apps — typically have reporting systems in place to address any behavior that goes against their community guidelines. Victims can use these tools to report NCII content or scams from cybercriminals.

Consult a Lawyer Specializing in Privacy or Cyber Law

Before you sue someone for the unauthorized distribution of your nudes, you should always work with a legal professional. A professional attorney can advise you on your legal options. They are vital to have at your side when taking action such as a restraining order or suing for privacy violation. They can also provide revenge porn legal help for DMCA takedown requests.

Contact Cyber Investigation Inc. for Support

You don’t have to experience NCII abuse alone. Cyber Investigation Inc. has a team of digital investigators who work with you to prevent any further violations of your privacy. We specialize in removing non-consensual content quickly off the internet. We also use digital forensics to analyze the data left by the perpetrator and unmask their identity. Our experts work alongside you through every step of the process, even collaborating with your attorney or local law enforcement.

How Cyber Investigation Inc. Helps Victims of NCII Abuse

Our experts have a well-established track record in the cyber field. They are highly skilled at protecting the privacy of cybercrime victims and identifying the responsible perpetrators. Here is a look at the services we provide.

• Uncovering Identities Through Digital Forensics: We have a team of forensic analysts dedicated to following the perpetrator’s digital footprint. From tracing IP addresses to metadata analysis, we can discover the geolocation of the criminal responsible and — eventually — their identity.
• Content Takedown and Disclosure Prevention: By working with online platforms like social media or search engines, we can quickly work to remove any NCII abuse on the internet. We can also assist in filing a DMCA takedown notice to any website that fails to respond to our requests.
• Supporting Legal Action with Evidence: Whether you are suing for privacy violation or damages, a lawsuit for unauthorized nude distribution can be a lengthy process and the same can be said about criminal cases. You will need solid evidence to support any legal action you take, and we can provide our digital investigation as evidence against the offender.

Real Case Example: A Meteorologist Possessing a Victim’s Sexually Explicit Content

Josh Fitzpatrick, a former Virginia meteorologist, was accused of filming a consensual sexual encounter without the victim’s knowledge and attempting to intimidate the victim with warnings that he would release the footage. The victim went to the police and the authorities began investigating the meteorologist. Fitzpatrick left his job and fled to Ohio once he learned about the investigation. However, in April 2025, Ohio law enforcement caught Fitzpatrick and is holding him for extradition to Virginia. He faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Don’t Stay Silent: Take Legal Action and Protect Your Future

People who experience NCII abuse typically just want the problem to go away. They may ignore the issue and avoid reporting the abuse to the authorities. Not only does this response empower cybercriminals, but it also gives them free rein to damage your online reputation.

Victims must act quickly in the face of any abuse to report the explicit content and hold the offender accountable. However, pursuing legal action requires the offender to be identifiable, and that’s where Cyber Investigation Inc. can help. Whether you are facing revenge porn or someone who has your nudes, we can work to trace the digital footprint of the perpetrator and unmask their identity.

If someone has distributed your private photos without your consent, you don’t have to face it alone. Contact Cyber Investigation Inc. today to start your fight for justice and privacy.

Last Updated on June 3, 2025

Nothing can truly prepare you for the moment you see your nudes shared online. The uncertainty of the exposure, wondering if friends, family, or coworkers have seen the content, can be overwhelming. The shock can trigger a flood of thoughts and emotions, leaving you unable to decide what to do next. Despite everything you may be experiencing, protecting yourself from further abuse is the top priority. Continue reading to learn everything you need to know to take action after non-consensual intimate image abuse.

How Nudes Get Leaked

The perpetrators can be anyone: friends, family members, partners, acquaintances — and of course, strangers. However, most victims of non-consensual intimate image (NCII) abuse know their offender. According to a report from the Revenge Porn Helpline, almost 60% of identifiable perpetrators in NCII abuse cases were current or former partners.

Many instances of victimization stem from sexting. After engaging in a sexually intimate relationship, partners or former partners may feel slighted by a conflict in the relationship and retaliate by sharing nudes. Another common way nudes are shared is through unauthorized access to your device or accounts, either in-person or via hacking.

What Happens If My Nudes Get Leaked?

Unfortunately, having your nudes posted online can affect many areas of your life — like your relationships, career, and reputation. The platform used to share the nudes plays a vital role in how it will impact you.

Social media is a common platform for NCII abuse. While most platforms have community guidelines against nudity for public posts, these rules do not apply to direct messages. Perpetrators can exploit this by sending NCII content directly to the victim’s followers or friends.

On Twitter/X, for example, sexually explicit posts do not necessarily go against community guidelines. This allows cybercriminals to publicly share NCII material with minimal pushback from the platform since it struggles to differentiate between consensually and non-consensually distributed content. There are, of course, sexually explicit websites where this content can be hosted as well. These websites are more difficult to work with, which can make removing the content challenging.

What to Do If Your Nudes Get Leaked

Whether you are panicking or frozen in shock, your feelings are valid and normal to have. It’s extremely common to panic in the midst of having your intimate images exposed. However, this can often lead to hasty decisions that are not the best for your situation. There are actions you can take to protect yourself and mitigate the damage from the leaked nudes. However, you will need to act with urgency.

Don’t Blame Yourself

Revenge porn is a crime and a complete betrayal of trust. However, it’s normal to feel guilty after being betrayed. Victims often blame themselves when their nudes are leaked. However, it is never their fault that someone else invaded their privacy. Many of these criminals use emotional manipulation and vulnerabilities to gain the trust of unsuspecting victims only to exploit that confidence.

Assess Where the Leak Came From

Before you can take steps to protect yourself, you need to identify where the leak came from. We’ve discussed the most common perpetrators of NCII abuse. Based on the content that was shared along with other contextual details, you can narrow down if this was a former partner, someone you know, or a stranger. Once you have a good idea of how it was shared, you can take the proper steps to protect yourself.

Get Your Nudes Removed

Many online platforms and search engines have built-in tools that help victims get NCII content removed. Social media platforms have a reporting system that allows users to notify the platform about content that violates their community standards. Search engines like Google also have a content removal form specifically for NCII abuse, which can remove offending links from Google Search results.

Update Your Privacy and Security Settings

The uncertainty around how your nudes were leaked highlights the importance of victims securing their accounts and devices and protecting themselves from further abuse. Making your online profiles private can help prevent strangers with harmful intentions from targeting you with a scheme.

You should also enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. This setting can prevent account takeovers — even if your login credentials are compromised. The cornerstone of online security is passwords. In the modern age, passwords need to be complex and unique to keep your information safe.

Preserve All Evidence

When it comes to what to do if someone posts your nudes, protecting yourself is important — and so is taking action against your offender. Whether the perpetrator is anonymous or not, preserving the evidence of NCII abuse is essential to holding them accountable. Be sure to take screenshots of any communication with the attacker and the profile that originally shared the images or videos. You can also look for any evidence of account breaches, including the date and time they occurred, to establish a possible timeline of events.

Report to Law Enforcement

Reporting the NCII abuse to the authorities is always recommended when asking what you should do if someone shares your nudes. The police can help you file an official report that includes your collected evidence and helps build a case against the cybercriminal responsible.

For anonymous perpetrators, some local police departments have cybercrime units that specialize in cases like NCII abuse and can investigate the incident to uncover the offender’s identity. The FBI also has the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the national hub for reporting cybercrimes. Filing a report to the IC3 not only helps the FBI track trends, but they can also collaborate with international law enforcement agencies to pursue perpetrators — even if they are located outside of the U.S.

Use Victim Support Resources

There are many non-profits and online tools created to support victims and provide help on what to do if someone shares their nudes. Here are the main resources to look into:

• Cyber Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI): A non-profit that supports victims of NCII with legal guidance, a 24/7 hotline for emotional support, and educational resources.
• StopNCII.org: A global tool that allows victims to submit the content being posted without their consent and have it removed from certain social media platforms and websites.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: A free and confidential service that focuses on domestic abuse but also supports victims of NCII. You can call, chat online, or text the hotline to get in contact with a live advocate.

Talk to Someone

Being a victim of NCII abuse can be devastating on many levels. There is a lot of distress, fear, anger, and anxiety that can come from being exposed. However, what can make things harder is facing all of it alone. Talking to someone during this experience can alleviate the overwhelming emotions you are feeling. It can also help calm your mind, allowing you to make informed decisions. This person can be a trusted friend, family member, therapist, or advocate at a non-profit.

Identify the Perpetrator with Digital Investigators

The criminals responsible for NCII abuse tend to hide behind anonymity. This protects them from being held accountable and allows them to operate in secrecy. However, cybersecurity experts can investigate anonymous incidents and trace the exposure back to its original source. Using digital forensics, they can trace the digital footprint to the culprit’s geolocation and, in some cases, identify the perpetrator. The findings from the digital investigation can be used as evidence in court proceedings against the offender.

What to Do When Nudes Leak? Call Cyber Investigation for Help

Cyber Investigation has a team of cybercrime experts that know exactly what to do if your nudes are shared. Using state-of-the-art technology, we can follow the digital trail of NCII abuse to its original source through methods like metadata analysis and IP tracking, which can help uncover the criminal’s geolocation. From there, we can work to identify the perpetrator and use their exposed identity as leverage to pressure them into removing the NCII content and stopping any further abuse.

We also work quickly to remove any private content that was posted online without your consent and offer an ongoing monitoring service that tracks any further postings after the initial incident has been handled. At Cyber Investigation, we provide all of this and more to protect your online reputation and to mitigate any damage from exposure. You don’t have to experience this alone. Reach out today and let our experts help you through it.

Last Updated on November 9, 2023

In this article we’ll discuss Is Sextortion Illegal in Ohio? In today’s digital age, sextortion has become an all-too-common occurrence. It is a cruel and unethical form of blackmailing someone with sexually explicit content. Unfortunately, many people fall prey to this crime, and the aftermath of it can be traumatizing.

Continue reading Is Sextortion Illegal in Ohio?

Last Updated on October 30, 2023

The internet has brought about a lot of great things, but like everything else in life, it has its downsides, too. One of those downsides is the rise of online sexual extortion or “sextortion.” Sextortion is a heinous crime where perpetrators use sexually explicit images or videos to blackmail victims into giving them money or other forms of compensation. It can happen to anyone, regardless of their age or gender, and the consequences are often devastating. In this post, we will discuss some ways you can protect yourself and how to stop sextortion if it happens to you.

Continue reading How can I stop sextortion?

Last Updated on October 30, 2023

Blackmail is an act of extorting money or any other advantage from someone by threatening to reveal embarrassing, incriminating, or damaging information about them. It’s an immoral and illegal activity that can have serious consequences. But is blackmail illegal in Missouri like it is in most other states? Let’s explore this question in detail.

Continue reading Is blackmail illegal in Missouri?