Someone online is threatening to share my nude photos unless I pay. What do I do?
Do not pay and do not send more photos. Paying does not make the threat go away; it tells the scammer that you will pay again. Stop replying, keep the evidence and report it to SAPS and to the platform.
Sextortion usually starts with a flirty new match who quickly moves to video or photo exchange. Often the "person" is a recording, and the demand comes within minutes. The threat to send the photos to your contacts is real in some cases, but most scammers move on when they get nothing.
You are the victim here, not the one who did something wrong. This happens to people of every age.
Step by step
- Do not pay. Do not negotiate. Do not send anything more.
- Screenshot the profile, the number, the messages and any payment details before you block.
- Block the person and set your social media accounts to private for a while.
- Report the account on the platform where it started and open a case at your local SAPS station.
- Tell someone you trust. If the photos are shared anyway, ask the platform to remove them.
Frequently asked questions
- They know my friends' names. How?
- From your public profile and friends list. That is why they threaten to contact them. It does not mean they will.
- Can Veritaza check who is behind it?
- Veritaza can check whether the photos, number and username are already linked to scam reports and whether others have checked the same profile. It cannot identify the person.
Want to know if there are warning signs about the person you're chatting to? Veritaza checks the photos, the messages, the number, the email address, the name and the ID document, for R99.
Check a person