Sextortion and blackmail: act fast, prove it afterwards
Immediate preservation of the evidence, identification of accounts and money flows, a file ready for the complaint. Fast response, no judgement.
The situation
What you are going through
The script is almost always the same, and it is run at industrial scale. You are not the first, and none of this is your fault.
A meeting online
An attractive profile, a conversation that moves quickly to the webcam or to exchanging images.
The threat
Screenshots, a list of your contacts, a countdown, a threat to send everything to your family or your colleagues.
The payment
Cryptocurrency, a prepaid card, a transfer abroad. After the first payment, the demand starts again.
The account vanishes
The profile is deleted, the messages erase themselves, and seemingly nothing is left.
What matters most: do not pay, do not delete anything, and do not block the account yet. Paying sustains the demand, and deleting destroys the evidence. If the victim is a minor, call the police, and Child Focus on 116 000 in Belgium.
The examination
What we look for, in practice
The exchanges are first frozen in a timestamped record, before they disappear. The examination then works on that copy.
01
Freezing the exchanges
Full capture of conversations, profiles, images and metadata, timestamped and hashed, before the offender or the platform removes them.
02
Identifying the accounts
Aliases, numbers, addresses, the same profile reused on other networks, links to cases already known.
03
Tracing the money
Cryptocurrency addresses, receiving accounts, platforms used, the chain of payments.
04
Any publication
Checking whether the material was actually published, and documenting each occurrence so removal can be requested.
05
Your device
If there is any doubt about access to your phone or webcam, a forensic examination answers that question separately.
06
The report
Findings, method, SHA-256 hashes and chain of custody. Written to be filed with the complaint.
Right now
Strictly avoid
- Paying, in one go or in instalments: the demand always returns.
- Deleting the conversation, the account or the app.
- Blocking the offender before the exchanges have been frozen.
- Engaging with the threat, negotiating, or trying to identify the offender yourself.
Do this
- Keep the conversation intact, exactly as it is, on the device.
- Note dates, times, aliases, numbers and payment references.
- File a complaint: offenders can be prosecuted, including abroad.
- Tell someone. This blackmail rests entirely on your silence.
How it unfolds
How we step in
-
1
First conversation
You tell us plainly, without judgement. We say straight away what to do within the hour.
-
2
Freezing the evidence
Timestamped record of the exchanges and profiles, before they disappear.
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3
Analysis
Accounts, money flows and any publication of the material, on the copy.
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4
Report and complaint
Delivery of the signed report and support for the complaint or for your lawyer.
Frequently asked
Frequently asked questions about sextortion
Should I pay to buy time?
No. A payment reads as a sign that you can pay: the demand comes back, higher. Cases where the victim paid nothing generally end better.
Can the police do anything if the offender is abroad?
Yes. These networks are organised and already tracked; accounts and money flows recur across cases. A solid technical file markedly improves the odds.
Have my images already been published?
That can be checked, at least across accessible spaces. We document every occurrence found so removal can be requested, and we state clearly what cannot be verified.
Will this stay confidential?
Yes. Professional secrecy, a closed file, and nothing is passed on without your agreement.
Let's talk now
First conversation free and confidential. We handle these cases as a priority, without judgement.
- Professional secrecy
- Priority handling
- Court-registered expert