Sextortion: video call blackmail

If this is happening to you: do not pay, do not panic, and do not face it alone. It is a common crime, it is run by gangs, and it passes.

How it works

1. A friend request or message arrives from an attractive stranger. After some chat the person suggests a video call.
2. On the call you see a person undressing, usually a recorded video. The call lasts seconds. Your face has been screen-recorded beside that video, or you were persuaded to undress as well.
3. Within minutes the threats begin: the clip will be sent to your family, friends and colleagues, whose names they list from your social media, unless you pay.
4. If you pay, they ask for more. Then a "police officer" or "YouTube official" calls to say a complaint has been filed or the video has been uploaded, and can be "removed" for a fee. All are the same gang.

A related version needs no call at all: an email says your device was hacked, you were recorded, and you must pay in cryptocurrency. It may quote an old password of yours taken from a data leak. It is a bluff sent to millions.

What to do, in order

1. Stop all contact. Do not reply, argue or plead.
2. Do not pay. Payment marks you as someone who pays, and the demands grow. Most victims who refuse and block find that nothing is sent: the gang moves on to easier targets.
3. Save the evidence before blocking: screenshots of the profile, the chat, the threats, phone numbers, UPI IDs or account numbers. Do not delete the conversation.
4. Block the accounts and numbers everywhere, and report the profile to the platform.
5. Lock down your social media: make your friends list and profile private for a while, so that they cannot reach your contacts. See Instagram and Facebook settings.
6. Report the crime on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, which has a separate section for crimes related to women and children and accepts other cyber crime reports. If you paid, also dial 1930.
7. Tell one person you trust. Shame is the weapon here, and it weakens the moment you are not alone with it.

If an intimate image of you has been posted on a platform, report it there for removal; major platforms have fast reporting routes for this. If you were under 18 when the image was made, tell a trusted adult and report: the law treats this with great seriousness, and you are the victim.

The signs, for next time

• A stranger who is quickly affectionate and wants to move to a video call or another app.
• A profile that is new, with few friends or copied photographs.
• A video call that begins with nudity within seconds.
• A request for your other social media handles.

If you feel you cannot cope

The fear in the first hours is intense, and it does ease. Speak to a family member, a friend or a doctor. In India, the government's Tele MANAS mental health helpline is 14416. If you are in immediate danger, go to the nearest police station or hospital.

If money has already gone

1. Dial 1930 at once. It is the national helpline for victims of financial cyber fraud. Give the transaction details; the earlier the report, the better the chance that the money can be held before it is moved on.
2. Call your bank or card company on its official number and block the card, UPI or account. Report the transaction as unauthorised and note the complaint number.
3. File the complaint on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in, and keep the acknowledgement number.
4. Keep everything: screenshots, numbers, UPI IDs, account numbers, transaction references, links, the app's name. Do not delete chats.

The full checklist, with what to keep ready, is on what to do after a fraud. Helpline and portal checked on 12 November 2026.

Independent guide. This is not a government, bank or police website. Helplines and rules were checked at official sources on 12 November 2026; confirm on the official site before relying on them.