Sextortion Reporting: Where and How to Report in the U.S.

If someone is threatening to leak your nudes unless you pay or send more, report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov, through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI. Stop replying, don't pay, and keep what you have for investigators. If you're in physical danger, call 9-1-1 first. Then use a takedown tool to get the images blocked.

Let's say it plainly: this is not your fault. You got played by someone who is very good at it, and plenty of kinky, vanilla, married, single, careful and careless people have been played the same way. Here's how to get out.

TL;DR

• Immediate danger? Call 9-1-1. Threats of violence go to local police first.
• Stop talking and stop paying. Payment tends to bring more demands, not silence.
• Report to the FBI: IC3 online, tips.fbi.gov, or 1-800-CALL-FBI. Adults who need images removed use StopNCII.org; under-18s use NCMEC's Take It Down.
• Deactivate, don't delete, your accounts, and keep evidence for investigators only.
• Ignore anyone charging to "fix" it. Paid sextortion rescue services are a known trap.

Table of Contents

• What sextortion looks like (and why it works)
• Do these things first, in this order
• What to save, and what not to
• Where to report sextortion in the U.S.
• Get the images blocked or taken down
• Watch out for "help" that costs money
• What happens after you report
• How adult creators and providers can lower the risk
• Our perspective
• Looking for a safer place to be found?
• FAQ
• Sources

What sextortion looks like (and why it works)

The FBI says sextortion can start on any site, app, messaging platform, or game where people meet and communicate. Sometimes the first message is already the threat: the person claims to have a revealing picture or video of you and wants money, gift cards or more content.

More often there's a setup. A hot stranger slides into your DMs, the chat gets flirty fast, photos get swapped, and then the tone flips. The "match" was a script, a stolen photo set, or a team of people working from a playbook. The FBI notes that online photos and videos are not proof of identity, because they can be stolen, manipulated or generated with AI. That also means you can be threatened with a fake: an image you never took can still be used to scare you.

The UK's National Crime Agency describes the same pattern globally: offenders threaten to release sexual images unless the victim pays or meets another demand, such as buying a prepaid gift card. It's a crime of deception, and the shame you feel is part of the offender's leverage.

If you work in or around adult spaces, you're a bigger target than most. You have public handles, you take payments, and you're used to talking to strangers about sex. None of that makes you a bad victim. It means you should have a plan before something lands in your inbox.

Do these things first, in this order

1. Check for danger

If the person threatens physical violence, knows where you live and says they're coming, or you fear for your life, call 9-1-1. The FBI's IC3 has warned about online groups that mix extortion with threats of violence, and in those cases local police are the first responders. File the online report afterward.

2. Stop all contact

The police.uk guidance is blunt: stop all communication with the offender immediately, and never pay, because paying guarantees nothing. U.S. agencies say the same. Don't argue, don't bargain, don't send "one last" photo. Every reply tells them you're still reachable.

Blocking can wait a few minutes. Capture the evidence first (see below), then block.

3. Don't pay

We get why people do. You want it to be over by tonight. But the NCA explains that a payment works as proof you'll comply, and the demands usually escalate. Think of it as paying a toll on a road that gets longer every time.

If you've already paid, that's not a reason to stay silent. Include the amounts, dates, payment method and account details in your report. Those are exactly the traces investigators follow.

4. Deactivate, don't delete

It's tempting to nuke your profile. Don't. Police.uk advises deactivating an account instead of deleting it, and the NCA explains why: deletion can wipe the logs and history that investigators need. Deactivation hides you from the offender while the data stays put. Do this on the platform where the contact happened, and tighten privacy on your other accounts.

5. Secure everything else

The Office of Justice Programs' guide for sextortion victims, written for the Internet Crimes Against Children task forces, starts with what to do about the offender and then covers securing your digital accounts: change passwords, update security settings. Do the practical stuff now: new unique passwords, two-factor authentication, and a check of which apps and devices are logged into your accounts.

What to save, and what not to

Investigators need specifics. Before you block anyone, collect:

• The offender's username, profile URL, display name and any phone number or email
• Screenshots of the threats, the demands and the whole conversation, with dates visible
• Payment details if you sent anything: amount, date, app or card, recipient name or handle
• Wallet addresses, gift card numbers or links they gave you

Here's the part people miss. Preserving evidence is not the same as hoarding images. Police.uk's reporting guidance warns against building your own stash of intimate images, and especially anything involving someone under 18, because possessing or sharing those files can itself be an offense even when your intent is to report. Keep the conversation, the account details and the threats. Don't forward the explicit content to friends, to "experts" or to yourself in six places. Hand it to law enforcement and follow their instructions about deleting it afterward.

If the victim is under 18, do not screenshot or save the images at all. Report to NCMEC and the FBI and let them tell you what they need.

Where to report sextortion in the U.S.

There is no single door. Use the one that matches your situation, and don't hesitate to use more than one.

The FBI's sextortion page lists the contact options: your local field office, 1-800-CALL-FBI, tips.fbi.gov, or local law enforcement. For adult victims, the IC3 is the central portal for online crime complaints in the U.S., including schemes run from overseas. That matters, because many sextortion crews aren't in your state or even your country. In May 2025 the Department of Justice announced arrests of four men in Côte d'Ivoire tied to an international scheme that targeted thousands of victims in several countries. Cases like that are built from many individual reports.

How to file an online report

When you fill in the IC3 form, write it like a timeline:

1. How you met the person and on which platform
2. What they sent, what you sent, and when
3. The exact threat and the exact demand
4. Any payments, with amounts and methods
5. Every identifier you have: usernames, emails, phone numbers, URLs

Keep it factual. You don't have to justify what you were doing or explain your kinks. Investigators handle consensual adult sexual content all the time, and the crime is the blackmail. Save your confirmation or complaint number.

If you're reporting for someone else

A friend, a partner, a performer you work with. Show them this page, stay calm, and help with the steps rather than taking over. Shame is the offender's best tool, and the thing that most often stops people reporting. The police.uk guidance says it plainly: it's a crime, and victims are not to blame.

Get the images blocked or taken down

Reporting to law enforcement does not remove anything from the internet. That's a separate job.

For adults (18+): StopNCII.org is a free tool run by a non-profit. It creates a digital fingerprint (a hash) of your image on your own device, and participating platforms use that hash to detect and block the image from being uploaded again. The image doesn't leave your device. According to its site, StopNCII reports a success rate above 90% for removals within its participating network, so treat that as the organization's own figure. It only covers platforms that have joined.

If your images are already online, the StopNCII FAQ says your first step should be to report them to the platforms where they appear. You can also add them to StopNCII for future protection.

For anyone under 18, or images taken when you were under 18: the FBI points to NCMEC's Take It Down at takeitdown.ncmec.org, with the CyberTipline for reports.

Also use the in-app report tools on every platform where the images or threats appear. Most have a specific option for non-consensual intimate imagery or extortion. Use it, and note the date and report number.

Watch out for "help" that costs money

The moment you search for sextortion help, you'll see ads for services that promise to track the blackmailer, scrub the web or negotiate. Be careful.

The FBI's advice is not to fall prey to for-profit companies charging sextortion victims for help. The OJP resource guide goes further and notes that many of these outfits are scams themselves. The legitimate paths, which are law enforcement and non-profit tools like StopNCII and Take It Down, don't charge you. If someone wants a retainer, a crypto payment or your passwords, walk away.

One more rule: nobody legitimate will ask you to send your intimate images to them "for verification."

What happens after you report

Be realistic. You will probably not get a call the next day. IC3 collects complaints and routes them to the right agencies, and your report may be one piece of a larger case against a group. Some reports lead to arrests, many contribute to pattern analysis, and none of them hurt.

The FBI's Jacksonville office said in 2025 that sextortion complaints to IC3 from its area rose 60% in the first seven months of that year compared to the year before. That's one field office's figure, but it shows why reports matter: volume is how agencies see the shape of the problem.

In the meantime:

• Keep blocking and reporting new accounts that contact you
• Don't respond if the threats resume. Screenshot and add to your report
• Tell one person you trust. The isolation is brutal, and you don't have to hold it alone
• Consider talking to a counselor. The psychological impact can be severe and long-lasting, and support exists for that

How adult creators and providers can lower the risk

Some of this is just the cost of doing business online, and we say that as a platform that lives in this world. A few habits help.

• Separate identities. Use a work handle, work email and work phone that don't connect to your legal name.
• Keep conversations on-platform. Offenders push people to move to private messaging apps. Be suspicious when a new contact does.
• Watermark your work. Our guide to secure photo sharing with batch watermarks and DMCA proof covers protecting content you sell.
• Handle payments carefully. See how to collect payments discreetly so you aren't handing out personal details.
• Verify before you trust. A video call, a reverse image search and a refusal to be rushed will weed out many fakes. Our piece on adult listing verification explains how verification works on marketplaces.
• Know the house rules. Our U.S. fetish classified rules cover 18+ verification, consent and reporting on classifieds.

Our perspective

We run a marketplace where adults list services, events and creative work in kink and adult spaces. That means we see both sides: the performers, pros and venues who've built something real, and the readers and clients who show up looking for it. And we know how thin the line can feel between a good connection and a trap.

Here's what we believe. Kinky people are not less deserving of protection because of what they're into. The shame offenders count on is stronger in our community, because people fear being outed more than they fear the money. So we say it loud: report it. A blackmailer is a criminal, and your desires are not the crime.

We also think platforms like ours have a job. Verification, clear consent rules and easy reporting are not extras. They're what makes a directory safe enough to use. Listing with us doesn't make anyone immune from a bad actor, and no platform can promise that. What we can do is keep the front door honest and make it simple to flag someone who isn't.

If you take one thing from this page: the first message you send after the threat should be to the authorities, not to the person threatening you.

— Prenston

Looking for a safer place to be found?

If you're a provider, creator or venue and want to be discoverable without handing your details to strangers, you can start on Kinky Korner with a free basic listing. Paid tiers are $4.99 per month or $149.95 per year for Yearly Premium. You can also browse the categories, from kink events to professional services, to see how listings are organized.

FAQ

Should I report sextortion if I already paid?

Yes. Paying doesn't make you ineligible, and it doesn't make you guilty of anything. Payment records, amounts and recipient details are useful evidence. Stop paying, since the NCA notes that payment is not a guarantee the threats will end.

Can I report sextortion online without calling anyone?

Yes. Adults can file through the FBI's IC3 portal or tips.fbi.gov. If you'd rather talk to a person, call 1-800-CALL-FBI or contact your local police. Call 9-1-1 only if someone threatens your safety.

Will reporting expose my private images or kinks?

Investigators treat the images as evidence, not entertainment, and you only need to share what's necessary. Don't circulate the files yourself. Ask the agency how they want evidence handled, and follow their guidance on deleting your copies afterward.

Does StopNCII remove images that are already online?

Not by itself. It creates a hash so participating platforms can block matching uploads. For images already posted, report them directly to each platform first, then add them to StopNCII for future protection, as its FAQ describes.

What if the victim is a teenager?

Treat it as urgent. Report to NCMEC's CyberTipline and the FBI, use Take It Down for removals, and don't save or forward the images. Tell the young person they are a victim of a crime and not in trouble.

Sources

• Sextortion, FBI
• The Com: Theft, Extortion, and Violence are a Rising Threat to Youth Online, IC3
• Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
• Sextortion, National Crime Agency
• Sextortion: reporting it to us, Police.uk
• Resources for Sextortion Victims, Office of Justice Programs
• StopNCII.org
• Frequently Asked Questions, StopNCII.org
• Ivorian Men Arrested for International Sextortion Scheme, U.S. Department of Justice
• Staying One Step Ahead, FBI Jacksonville

Recommended

• U.S. Fetish Classified Rules: 18+ Verification, Consent, and Reporting
• FOSTA-SESTA: One New Federal Crime and the U.S. Platform Fallout
• 7 Steps to 2257 Compliance for U.S. Adult Creators
• How to Comply With Adult Regulations: A Practical Checklist