One of the most common responses to sextortion on Facebook is to simply ignore it. Victims will delete messages or block the sextortionist in hopes that the criminal was making empty threats. However, this is not the most effective way to respond to sextortion. In many cases, ignoring the perpetrators will only make the situation worse. We’ve created a resource that addresses three of the most common questions about responding to sextortion: Do sextortionists follow through? Can sextortion ruin your life? And should you ignore sextortion on Facebook?
Do Sextortionists Follow Through on Facebook?
A 2023 survey found that 42% of sextortionists do follow through, even if the victim pays. This may look like an alarming number. However, the likelihood of exposure depends on many key factors. Take note of the following determinants.
- Vulnerability of the victim. Celebrities, politicians, and high net worth individuals are often targeted by sextortionists. Perpetrators are also more likely to make good on their threats toward these individuals since they heavily value their reputation.
- Targeted attacks. If a sextortionist is targeting you, they have likely invested time to research you and your close connections. This increases the likelihood that they’ll directly share the compromising content with those people if their demands are not met.
- Likelihood of compliance. Entertaining the attacker’s demands in messages or sending them money is never a good idea. Compliance of any kind will only bolster the criminal to continue sending their threats.
- Type of incriminating content. Some scammers will use AI deepfake technology to create fake explicit content to threaten victims. They may also threaten to use compromising content that does not clearly show your face or other identifiable features. This content is not as incriminating and can reduce the risk of exposure.
- Impulsiveness of the sextortionist. There is no telling how likely an anonymous sextortionist is to make good on their threat. These criminals can be impulsive and unpredictable, releasing the content out of anger or vindictiveness.
- The victim’s response. How the victim responds to the sextortionist can increase or decrease the likelihood of exposure. There are best practices victims can follow to protect themselves in case they are targeted. When it comes to the question of should you ignore sextortion on Facebook or not, it’s important to be proactive and strategic in your response.
Can Sextortion on Facebook Ruin Your Life?
It is possible for sextortion to ruin your life, but that is not often the case. Even in cases of exposure, there are tools that can quickly remove the content from certain platforms. However, sextortionists do want their victims to believe that they can ruin their lives. That’s why they will make malicious threats against the victim’s reputation to induce panic. It’s important to be aware of possible ramifications while also knowing the scare tactics sextortionists use.
Career
Sextortionists are aiming to cause extreme emotional distress and they will often threaten your career to cause that. Using LinkedIn or other investigative methods, they will look for co-workers or supervisors to coerce you into compliance. Public-facing careers, such as teachers and police officers, are also more vulnerable to sextortion. These careers value reputations and how they can reflect on their institutions.
Financial Ruin
Victims should never pay a sextortionist. Not only does it communicate that you have the money to pay, but it also signals that you are susceptible to their threats. Unfortunately, many victims pay the sextortionist to maintain their online reputation, losing thousands of dollars. There have been cases where victims have exhausted their life savings to appease sextortionists, with the demands continuing indefinitely.
Personal Relationships
The main threat that sextortionists will make is toward the victim’s relationship with family, friends, and peers. They will research the target to discover the online accounts of their close connections, threatening to send the explicit content directly to them. On Facebook, they may even create a group chat with your friends for more leverage. In many cases, perpetrators will send explicit content to some followers or in group chats before moving onto another target.
Should You Ignore Sextortion on Facebook?
Many victims feel compelled to completely ignore threats of sextortion out of extreme anxiety. They often will block the sextortionist on Facebook. However, this can lead to devastating consequences. Sextortionists can notice when they are blocked and may publicly expose the explicit content in retaliation.
So, should you ignore sextortion on Facebook? While not responding to the sextortionist is a good step, not taking any further action is a common mistake. There are additional steps you should take to ensure the incident is reported and protect yourself — even if exposure occurs.
What Should You Do When Facing Sextortion on Facebook?
We’ve covered whether you should ignore sextortion on Facebook or not. Now, let’s walk through what you should do when facing sextortion. Follow these steps to protect yourself and respond to sextortion effectively.
- Keep communication open with the criminal. When considering should you ignore sextortion on Facebook, it’s best to leave the line of communication open. However, you shouldn’t engage any of their demands. Instead, our experts suggest using delay tactics to stall for time while you connect with the proper experts.
- Preserve all the evidence. You need evidence of the sextortion in order to report the crime to law enforcement. You can take screenshots of messages, the profiles involved, and anything else that is relevant.
- Report the user on Facebook. Sextortion goes against Facebook’s community standards. Users can report the user on the platform along with posts or messages. Make sure to report the perpetrator, as it can lead to account removal.
- Notify the authorities. Your evidence can be used to file a report with local law enforcement. The report will be officially documentation of the crime, which can support future legal actions. You should also report the crime to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). The FBI has federal jurisdiction and connections to law enforcement in other countries.
- Work with cybersecurity experts. Experts at private cybersecurity firms can work to protect the privacy of victims and mitigate the damage of any exposure. They also offer services to investigate and unmask the criminal responsible.
- Reach out for emotional support. Being a victim of sextortion is overwhelming to go through, especially on your own. It’s important to confide in a trusted friend, family member, or a counselor to alleviate some of the emotional burden of the incident.
Tulsa Victim Speaks Out: Should You Ignore Sextortion on Facebook?
In 2024, a woman named “Jane” received a text message from the hacker group that calls themselves “Anonymous”. The message demanded that she pay 1K Bitcoin within an hour or else they will post explicit images on her Facebook. There was also a file attached. Jane responded with “Whatever, you’re bluffing,” and clicked on the link. The link contained multiple images.
However, minutes later, the file appeared in the comments of her Facebook posts. Jane then deleted the comments and made her profile private. What Jane didn’t know is that clicking the link granted the hackers access to her device and any images on it. Jane decided to file a report with her local police department about the incident.
How to Protect Yourself on Facebook
Facebook provides multiple tools for users to prevent being targeted by sextortionists in the first place. You should also follow online safety practices to protect your privacy from scammers. Here is how you should protect yourself on Facebook.
- Lock down your account. Scammers will often scour the platform for possible targets. Make your account private to limit the exposure of your profile.
- Be cautious with friend requests. Catfishers will begin relationships with targets on Facebook with unsolicited friend requests and messages. You need to stay vigilant when accepting and responding to message requests.
- Adjust privacy settings. Facebook allows users to control who can message them or view their profile details, friends list, and posts.
- Avoid sharing intimate content. Sharing explicit content online is always a huge risk. Even though sexting is common, there is no telling what the person on the other end will do with the content. Even if you are messaging a significant other, a falling out can lead to sextortion years later.
- Strengthen security settings. Make sure your password is complex and two-factor authentication is enabled. You can also check if your password has been exposed by visiting Have I Been Pwned.
