Sextortion on Video Call: How to Handle Blackmail Without Paying

You accept a video call from an unknown number or a new "friend" on social media. Within seconds, the screen shows explicit content, or the other person tricks you into an intimate moment. Soon after, you receive a recording along with a threat: pay money, or the video will be sent to your family, colleagues and contacts.

This is sextortion. It is a crime, and you are the victim. Many people feel too ashamed to tell anyone, which is exactly what the blackmailers rely on.

First: do not pay

Paying almost never ends the blackmail. Once the criminals know you will pay, they usually come back for more, again and again. In most cases they are running the same scam on many people at once and move on when a victim does not respond.

What to do, step by step

1. Stop all communication. Do not argue, plead or negotiate. Do not send any more photos or videos.
2. Save evidence before blocking. Take screenshots of the profile, chats, phone numbers, UPI IDs or bank details they shared, and the threats. Note the date and time.
3. Block and report the account on the app or platform where the contact happened.
4. Tighten your privacy. Make your social media friends lists and followers private, so the blackmailer cannot easily find your contacts.
5. Report the crime on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or call 1930. You can also approach your nearest police station or cyber cell.
6. Tell someone you trust. A family member, a friend or a lawyer. You do not have to handle this alone.

If the video has been shared or uploaded

• Report the content to the platform immediately. Major platforms remove non-consensual intimate content.
• Adults can use StopNCII.org, a free tool that helps stop intimate images from being shared on participating platforms, without uploading the image itself.
• Mention the links in your police complaint so the police can ask for removal.

Will my identity be exposed if I complain?

Many people stay silent because they fear embarrassment. Police and courts deal with such cases regularly, and you can ask that your complaint be handled discreetly. A lawyer can help you prepare the complaint so that only necessary details are shared.

What the law says

Depending on the facts, sextortion may fall under extortion (Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023), criminal intimidation (Section 351 BNS), and Sections 66E, 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deal with violation of privacy and publishing obscene or sexually explicit material electronically. Where the victim is a woman, further provisions may apply, and where a child is involved, the POCSO Act applies.

If you already paid

Report it anyway and mention every payment in your complaint, with transaction details. Call 1930 as soon as possible so the money trail can be tracked. See: Lost Money in an Online Fraud? Do These 5 Things in the Next 24 Hours.

This article is for general information only and is not legal advice for any specific case.