Last Updated on September 6, 2023

When you get blackmailed, the natural question is do blackmailers give up if you ignore them? But what if ignoring them is the wrong move? In this post, we’ll explore some of the things you need to consider when deciding how to handle blackmail.  Read on for tips on how to deal with this difficult situation!

What is Blackmail?

Online blackmail is when a person threatens to expose your private information – images, videos, unless you comply with their demands. Blackmail can consist of three broad types: extortion, coercion, and commercial pressure, all equaling to the same goal: money.

Sextortion being a form of extortion, is a prevalent type of blackmail that consists of criminals disguising their identities using fake social media accounts to contact potential victims of all ages and manipulate them into exchanging explicit content. Once a victim sends their explicit content,  that will not stop until they get what they are asking for.

So, how does one handle a case of sextortion? Do you pay your blackmailer what they want? Or do you ignore their threats and hope that blocking them will make the situation go away? Let’s get into the consequences of ignoring your blackmailer.

Do blackmailers give up if you ignore them?

It’s normal for anyone who is faced with sextortion to want to make the situation end as fast as possible. But it is important to know that these cases are sensitive.

Understandably, victims come up with two solutions to their problem, they can either pay their blackmailer that one-time lucrative amount of money, or just block and ignore their blackmailer in the hopes that they will give up and disappear. As a company that specializes in cyber-crimes and has worked with hundreds of sextortion cases, we can confidently say that both strategies can be disastrous.

Payment:

Once a sextortionist gives you a list of their demands, they expect you to follow through in a timely manner and will try to convince you that this nightmare could end quickly if you justcomply. These criminals will claim that if you provide them with the amount of money they want, they will end their manhunt and promise to delete your content and never speak to you again. First thing every victim needs to understand is that you are dealing with a criminal that is going to say anything they need to, in order to get what they want.

What happens if you don’t pay a blackmailer?

• No Proof of Deletion.

Suspects will claim to have deleted your content but will not show any proof. Your content will most likely stay stored in their database for later use.

• More Money.

Suspects always come back asking for more money! They will claim to still have your content and are ready to expose it if you don’t comply. It only takes one payment to show these criminals that you are scared enough and capable of giving them exactly what they want.

• Disappearance Act .

There have been many cases we have dealt with, where a blackmailer will actually disappear and leave their victim alone for a good while, but will come back weeks, months, or even years later claiming they still have their victim’s content and needs more money in order to keep quiet.

Do Blackmailers Give Up if You Ignore Them

If a sextortionist ignored, there are many ways they will try to get your attention. Once a criminal has deemed you their target, they collect an abundance of information on you, your family, friends, and anything that can be correlated to you. Obtaining all of that information provides these suspects plenty of ammo to use against if you were to ignore them, such as:

• Contacting Loved Ones.

Suspects know that if they are being ignored, they can always reach out to their victims’ friends and family to get a reaction out of them.

• Posting Content.

If ignored, there are some suspects that will not hesitate to post their victim’s content. They will claim that they keep the post up or even continue posting on multiple websites, until they see some compensation.

• Endless Harassment.

These suspects will send you endless harassing messages or even phone calls until you are pushed to the edge and send money.

How To Deal With Blackmail?

Dealing with blackmail can feel like you are all alone in an endless revolving door. It’s important for victims or the public in general to know what precautions to take when faced with a blackmailer. Here are a few tips to use when dealing with a blackmailer

• Keep calm and stall.

Once a blackmailer gives you a list of demands, be calm and pretend that you are willing to comply.

• Document.

Make sure to document every interaction you’ve had with the suspect so that you can provide proof to authorities.

• Private Settings.

Keep strong private setting on all of your online accounts. This disables the amount of information a suspect can have access to.

• Seek Out Authorities. 

Make as many reports as you can to your local authorities and the FBI.

• Support Groups.

How to report online blackmail?

Online sextortion can take a toll on a victim’s mental health. Reaching out to organizations that support victims of cyber-crimes will help tremendously.

Sextortion is a serious crime that can have devastating consequences for victims. If you are the victim of sextortion, or know someone who is, please reach out for help. There are resources available to you, including digital forensics experts who can help you recover and protect your data. Don’t suffer in silence – there is support available.

Contact Our Sextortion Helpline. We Are here to help you 24\7. Now You Know Do blackmailers give up if you ignore them. It’s your turn to act.