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 from sextortion or blackmail.
Will Your Sextortionist Follow Through?
How often do sextortionists follow through? The answer is not simple because the behavior of a sextortionist depends heavily upon the reaction of the victims. Some studies suggest that up to 45% of sextortionists follow through with their threats.
They rarely give up if they are ignored. Cybercriminals get power from the uncertainty and fear they instill in victims. They escalate their threats if they feel that the victim is ignoring them and apply pressure to make the victim feel like they have no option but compliance. Identifying these tactics is pivotal.
What Makes a Sextortionist or Blackmailer Follow Through?
Several factors can influence whether a sextortionist will follow through.
- Victim Profile: Individuals with a high-profile and valuable reputation may face higher risks. Blackmailers often follow through with threats toward these individuals because they are more inclined to protect their reputation.
- Previous Compliance: This pattern of behavior is quite attractive to blackmailers. If you’ve met demands previously, this encourages them to issue and follow through on threats in the future as well.
- Confrontation: Confronting sextortionists often provokes them to retaliate. Sometimes, victims respond defensively or angrily. This type of hard response can provoke the blackmailers to follow through offensively.
- Hasty Decisions: Cybercriminals are unpredictable. That’s why direct refusal or payment delay may trigger dangerous reactions from sextortionists.
- Fear and Psychological Control: Panic is a big weapon of blackmailers. They utilize panic, intimidation, and secrecy to facilitate inaction or silence from victims, which can prolong threats and pressure.
- Multiple Targets: Blackmailers often target multiple victims simultaneously. This tactic provides them with an opportunity to repeat threats and expose or resell data several times.
Why Ignoring a Blackmailer Often Fails
Ignoring blackmail is a common, misguided technique used by targeted individuals. The question is, do blackmailers give up if you ignore them? The thought is that if we ignore them, then they will go away. But in reality, this type of technique rarely works. People think that ignoring a sextortionist or blackmailer is a safe option. But in reality, this can escalate the threats and aggression of the blackmailers may increase.
There’s no guarantee that ignoring the threat will lead them to follow through, but it also does nothing practical to stop the threat. Even worse, you create more uncertainty by ignoring the threat. Responding strategically is more helpful as compared to avoiding the threat entirely. It’s very important to prioritize your emotional well-being and safety by responding strategically.
What Can Deter a Sextortionist or Blackmailer?
There are different reasons behind the abandonment of threats by blackmailers — one of which is loss of leverage. This is a very powerful and critical factor. If a blackmailer is unable to access and weaponize your private content, they can’t control or blackmail you. This may affect their motivation and lead them to abandon the threat.
Another reason is the legal consequences. Releasing intimate videos or images without a proper agreement is a serious crime. The TAKE IT DOWN Act officially made it a federal crime in the United States to release, or threaten to release, intimate content of an individual without their consent.
Professional intervention can also reduce the risks of blackmail. Cybersecurity professionals are always available to help out the victims. They can identify perpetrators and document the evidence. Cybersecurity experts can encourage the blackmailers to abandon attacks. As a result, cybersecurity experts can help restore a sense of trust and safety for victims.
How Online Platforms Affect Exposure
Numerous platforms are used by the sextortionists and blackmailers to publish the private content of individuals. This leads many victims to ask themselves, “will blackmailers post my pictures on social media platforms?” The answer is yes, it’s possible because social media platforms are unable to prevent such activities proactively. While many of them are equipped with sensitive safeguards to protect the private content of others, action can typically only be taken after exposure has occurred. Here is how some of the major platforms address the issue.
- WhatsApp: This platform is unable to provide robust control over private content. It relies on reports from users to remove abusive content. The process of reviewing reports can take extensive time. During that period, the private content of the victims can spread throughout the platform.
- Discord: This is a communication platform that is widely used by gaming communities, which studies have shown to be the fourth-highest entry point for sextortion. It allows users to share explicit images without proper preventive measures. Blackmailers can share private images of the victims on this platform, only being inhibited by user reports.
- X: This social media platform provides intellectual property protection and an option to flag the sensitive or private content. However, it does not provide any advanced security and filtering features. Users must flag offending posts and accounts manually.
- Meta platforms: Facebook and Instagram are using AI-based detection techniques to filter and blur private, sensitive media and issue a warning before it’s viewed. Users are then encouraged to report NCII abuse to request removal of the content.
- Snapchat: This platform also uses AI warnings, but there is no default control or restriction available on private content. However, if the account belongs to a minor or has parental controls enabled, viewing this content can be restricted.
- TikTok: This platform provides explicit control to block sexual and private content. Sharing explicit media is prohibited, regardless of consent. Furthermore, external links that could lead to private content are also blocked or issued a warning on this platform.
How to Protect Yourself from Sextortion and Blackmail
Proactive and strategic actions are required to protect yourself from sextortionists and blackmailers. Luckily, there is a path you can choose to successfully keep your private data from the public. You don’t need to wait for them to follow through — you should take action against your blackmailer immediately.
Do Not Engage, But Do Not Stay Passive
While it isn’t advisable to outright ignore the blackmailer, you should cease all communication once you’ve obtained evidence. This may seem confusing at first, but the difference between ignoring and cutting off a blackmailer is having a proper exit plan.
This is where delay tactics can be of use. Before you can confront a blackmailer, you will need time to collect evidence, find help, and simply collect your thoughts. To buy yourself this time, use believable excuses to postpone paying the blackmailer, such as needing to wait until payday or time to sell items to come up with the funds.
Preserve All Evidence
With a plan in place and delay tactics buying you more time, you can begin collecting evidence. Online blackmail is a crime, and you have every right to take legal action against your assailant. But to do this, you will need to be able to prove what happened.
You will want to capture any and everything that displays the unlawful nature of your conversation. Names, accounts, phone numbers, emails, and any exchanges between you that express threatening intentions should be documented. You will want to conduct a thorough investigation, which is why delaying the blackmailer is so important.
Report the Threat
It’s now time to put that evidence to use. You should begin by filing a report with your local police force. If the crime permeates past the scope of their jurisdiction, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is the national task force responsible for handling cybercrimes.
You should also report the online accounts of the blackmailer to any platforms they contacted you on. This can result in their profiles being removed, along with any of your private data they may have posted. Reporting to platforms also helps protect you and others from being harmed in the future.
Get the Help You Need
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.
If you need help at any point in the process, cybersecurity professionals can assist you with every aspect of your recovery. These teams have the experience and resources required to stop your blackmailer.
Real Risks of Waiting: Escalation Examples
Below are some testimonials from anonymous clients that we’ve been able to help navigate the same perils you are currently facing. Their blackmailers forced them into a corner where they felt like they had nowhere to turn, but Cyber Investigation was able to lead them to the path of recovery.
“I cannot put into words how professional these people are,” said one former client. “To not be able to eat or sleep with worry, it was a relief to be guided step by step and have a professional team to take over the nightmare I was living.”
“I am glad I found Cyber Investigation Inc. I could not sleep the night before,” said another customer describing the feelings that resulted from handling the blackmail alone. “When my case manager called me back, she took over everything and put me at ease.”
Take Action, Don’t Wait
Unfortunately, a sextortionist is not guaranteed to give up if you ignore their threats. Your lack of engagement may actually drive them to follow through on their ultimatum. Therefore, action rather than avoidance is the safest path forward.
You need to act quickly, but addressing the issue incorrectly can be just as detrimental as ignoring it. That’s why it can be of the utmost benefit to have the right professional team in your corner who can help you navigate this stressful situation.
If you’re being blackmailed, don’t just hope it goes away or wait for the blackmailer to follow through — make it stop now. Contact Cyber Investigation Sextortion Helpline today to take control before it’s too late.
