How to report sextortion in Canada
Don't pay, and stop communicating with the person. Keep screenshots of the messages and profile, then report it to your local police service, to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca, and to the platform where it happened.
Threatening to share someone's intimate image is a crime under the Criminal Code, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The RCMP's message to young people being targeted is plain: you will not be in trouble, because you are not the one at fault.
Key points
In short: don't pay, keep the evidence, and report it to your local police service and the CAFC.
- Don't pay. The RCMP's advice is "do not comply with any threats and do not send money or more images." Winnipeg police put it this way: the first $500 "usually turns into $500 more, and $500 more."
- Report to your local police service, or call 911 if anyone is in immediate danger. In most of Canada outside Ontario and Quebec, your local police is the RCMP.
- Also report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or 1-888-495-8501, especially if you've already paid or received the "I recorded you" email.
- Since July 2026, the Criminal Code's intimate-image offence explicitly covers AI-generated fakes, and threatening to share an image is a crime in its own right.
- If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 9-8-8. It's free, available 24/7, in English and French.
Under 18? Report it to your local police. The RCMP tells young people they will not be in trouble.
Two different crimes go by the same name
One is a mass email that claims it recorded you, and the other is a real threat from someone who holds your images. Work out which one you're facing, because the response is different.
The email that says it recorded you
An email arrives claiming the sender hacked your computer and recorded you doing something explicit, and it demands Bitcoin. It may quote a real password of yours, or other personal details, as "proof."
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is direct about this one: "The computer has not been hacked. The password cited was obtained in a previous data breach." Don't pay and don't reply. Change that password everywhere you've used it, then report the message to the CAFC. The Government of Canada's Get Cyber Safe campaign notes that these emails are sent in bulk to lists of leaked passwords.
You can check on Chainabuse whether the wallet address in an email like this has been reported.
Someone who actually has your images
This is the dangerous one: someone has an intimate image of you and threatens to share it unless you pay. The RCMP says offenders often pose as people your own age.
The RCMP says sextortion affects young people across Canada, particularly those between 14 and 24, and that it "can affect anyone no matter their gender, sexual identity or orientation." Demands can be for money, gift cards or more images.
What to do in the first hour
Don't pay, keep the evidence, report the account to the platform, and report to your local police service and the CAFC.
- Stop communicating with the person, and don't send money or more images. The RCMP says not to comply with any threats.
- Take screenshots of the messages and the person's profile, including the username, and keep the payment demand. The RCMP advises you to deactivate your social media account but not delete it.
- Report the account to the platform where it happened. Don't accept new friend requests for a while afterwards.
- If you've already paid, gather the information about the payment and report it to the financial institution that transferred the money. The CAFC lists this before the police call.
- Report to your local police service and ask for a file number. Then report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
- Tell a trusted person such as a parent, guardian, teacher or Elder.
Where to report
Report to your local police service, and also to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre if you paid or got the mass email. Use the table to find your situation.
| Your situation | Where to report | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Someone holds real images of you | Your local police service (911 if anyone is in danger) | Police investigate. Ask for a file number. |
| A mass "I recorded you" email | Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, or 1-888-495-8501 | The CAFC says to report these emails to it; it does not investigate itself. |
| You are under 18 | Your local police service, plus the "Under 18?" box above | The RCMP says to report to local police. |
| You are 18 or over and images are already posted | The platform's report option, then your local police. In BC, the Intimate Images Protection Service; in Nova Scotia, CyberScan | A judge can order deletion once there is a criminal case; BC and Nova Scotia also have provincial takedown orders. |
| You paid | Your financial institution, your local police and the CAFC | The CAFC's victim guide lists these steps in that order. |
| The platform where contact happened (a social app, game or dating app) | The platform's own in-app report option | The RCMP lists the platform as a place to report. |
Your local police service, or 911 for immediate danger
Sextortion is a police matter, and the RCMP, the CAFC and Montreal police all tell victims to report it to their local police. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911.
The RCMP provides contract policing to eight provinces, three territories and about 150 municipalities. Ontario and Quebec have their own provincial police services. Whichever police service covers your area, ask for a file number.
Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca
Report online through the National Cybercrime and Fraud Reporting System at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca, or call 1-888-495-8501 (Monday to Friday, 10 am to 4:45 pm Eastern). Use it for the mass Bitcoin email, and whenever money changed hands.
The CAFC doesn't investigate cases itself. In its own words, "it's the role of your local police to investigate". So report to both.
If your images were posted
Report the images to the platform where they appear, and report the crime to your local police.
Under section 162.1 of the Criminal Code, sharing an intimate image without consent is a crime. Since July 2026 the definition includes images made with AI that are likely to be mistaken for a real recording, and threatening to share one is a separate offence. Once police have a case, a judge can order whoever controls a computer system in Canada to delete the image. When the image is tied to a section 162.1 offence, the judge must order it deleted within 48 hours. That power only reaches systems within the court's jurisdiction.
Some provinces have their own civil routes, with government services that help you use them:
- British Columbia: under the Intimate Images Protection Act, you can apply online to the Civil Resolution Tribunal for an order that someone take down an image, or stop sharing or threatening to share it. Since 2026 you can also claim up to $75,000 in damages. The province's Intimate Images Protection Service helps you through it: 1-833-688-4381 or takebackyourimages.gov.bc.ca.
- Nova Scotia: the Department of Justice's CyberScan unit helps victims of intimate-image sharing, and you can apply to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia for a cyber-protection order that can require an image to be taken down. CyberScan: 1-855-702-8324 (Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm), novascotia.ca/cyberscan.
If you are a parent
If your child is being sextorted, don't pay, save the messages and account details, deactivate rather than delete the account, and report to your local police service. The RCMP tells young people they "will not be in trouble" and are "not the one to blame," even if they accepted money or a gift card along the way.
If you already paid
Report the incident to the financial institution that transferred the money, report to your local police for a file number, and then report to the CAFC. The CAFC says to gather all the information about the fraud first, including receipts and copies of messages.
Beware of anyone who offers to make it go away
Be wary of anyone who offers to recover your money: the CAFC warns about recovery scams, including ones that impersonate the CAFC. The CAFC is explicit: "the CAFC and police will never ask you to transfer funds or make a payment of any kind."
If you're thinking about hurting yourself
Call or text 9-8-8, the Suicide Crisis Helpline. It's free, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in English and French, anywhere in Canada (Government of Canada).
Why report the wallet address publicly
You can report a wallet address on Chainabuse, and check there whether an address has already been reported.
Frequently asked questions
The short answers: don't pay, keep the evidence, and report it to your local police service and the CAFC.
1. Where do I report sextortion in Canada?
To your local police service, which in much of Canada is the RCMP, and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at reportcyberandfraud.canada.ca or 1-888-495-8501. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 911. You can also report a wallet address on Chainabuse.
2. Should I pay the person blackmailing me?
No. The RCMP says not to comply with threats or send money or more images, and Winnipeg police say the first $500 "usually turns into $500 more, and $500 more."
3. Is sextortion a crime in Canada?
Yes. Using threats to get money or anything else is extortion under section 346 of the Criminal Code, which carries a maximum of life imprisonment. Section 162.1 also makes it a crime to share an intimate image without consent, and to threaten to. Since July 2026 this covers AI-generated fakes, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
4. I got an email saying I was recorded, and it has my old password. Is it real?
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says the computer has not been hacked and the password was obtained in a previous data breach. Don't pay, change that password, and report the email to the CAFC.
5. My teenager is being sextorted. What do I do?
Don't pay. Save the messages and the account details, deactivate rather than delete the account, and report to your local police service. The RCMP says young people will not be in trouble.
6. How do I get my images taken down?
Report them to the platform first. Once there's a criminal case, a judge can order a computer system in Canada to delete them within 48 hours. In British Columbia and Nova Scotia, provincial services can also help you get a takedown order.
7. What should I do if I already paid?
Report it to the financial institution that transferred the money, report to your local police and get a file number, then report to the CAFC.
