Last Updated on July 7, 2023
Blackmail is happening on almost every online platform there is and people are falling victim to the crime daily. If you received a random email that consists of threats and allegations you should be alarmed. Keep reading to find out How to Stop Blackmail Emails and keep yourself safe online.
Should I Worry About a Sextortion Email?
Sextortion emails can play out in two different ways.
A blackmailer can find your email through a data leak or data breach and reach out pretending that they obtained your explicit content and are going to expose you if you don’t pay up. This is fairly common, and lots of victims, unfortunately, fall for it. If you receive an email like this and they don’t provide your content as proof they are likely lying.
However, if they do not have your content, they can always find ways to get to it, while claiming they already have it. A sextortionist might claim they have it and send a link to show proof. That link could be infected with malware and as soon as you click on it, you give them access to your device where all of your data is vulnerable.
If a blackmailer has obtained your content that means that they have hacked into your account and found said content in messages. To instill fear and show that they are serious, they will always provide proof that they have your images or video.
So yes, you should be worried about a sextortion email whether it is true or not, you never know what these criminals might do.
Should I Block Sextortion Emails?
We don’t recommend blocking any emails or contacts. Blocking or ignoring a sextortion email can make matters worse. It could get the blackmailer angry and make them follow through with their threats. It would also be pointless; these criminals create dozens of accounts and they will likely reach out via a new email address and continue the harassment.
Can I Report an Email as Blackmail?
If an email is fraudulent, you can report it to your email platform. Just look for the three dots on the email you would like to report and it will provide you with options.
You can report the email as “phishing” Phishing is a form of fraud in which a message sender attempts to trick the recipient into sharing important personal information. Once you report the email, the entire message will be sent to the platform’s abuse team to review.
How to Get Rid of Online Blackmailers?
The best and most successful way of getting rid of your blackmailer is to report the crime to the authorities. Sextortion is a federal crime and it has severe consequences for those who act on it.
Victims should not engage and try to handle the matter on their own. Rather, you should provide as much information as you can about the crime and let authorities, the FBI, and online blackmail experts handle it.
Receiving blackmail emails can be a very frightening experience. However, by following these steps, you can take back control and put an end to the harassment. Remember, do not ignore the situation, try to gather as much information about the sender as possible, and then contact authorities so they can handle it from there. Now you know How to Stop Blackmail Emails. If you need help – contact our
We can help you to handle not only blackmail email situation but:
- Facebook Sextortion \ Blackmail On Facebook
- Sextortion on Instagram \Blackmail On Instagram
- Sextortion on Snapchat \ Blackmail On Snapchat
and other blackmail situation that can happen on the Internet
