How to report sextortion in England
Don't pay, stop contact and keep everything, then report it to your local police on 101 or online through police.uk, and to the platform where the contact happened. Ring 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm.
If someone is threatening to share sexual images of you unless you pay, you are not the one in trouble here. Threatening to share an intimate image is a crime in England, even if the image doesn't exist. The National Crime Agency's message to victims is that it is never their fault.
Key points
- Don't pay. The National Crime Agency (NCA) says there is no guarantee that paying will stop the threats, and the offender may ask for more.
- Report sextortion to your local police: ring 101, report online through police.uk, or ring 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm.
- If you're under 18, tell an adult you trust and report it to the police, or report straight to the CEOP Safety Centre, which is part of the NCA.
- Threatening to share an intimate photo or video is a criminal offence in England and Wales, including when the image doesn't exist.
- If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or ring 999 if your life is at risk.
Under 18? Report it to the police on 101 or online through police.uk (999 if you are in immediate danger), or report straight to the CEOP Safety Centre, part of the National Crime Agency.
Two different crimes go by the same name
Sextortion is a type of online blackmail, and the threat can arrive in different ways. Work out which one you are facing.
The email that says it recorded you
If you get an email claiming the sender has recorded you, the same advice applies: don't pay and stop contact. You can report a suspicious email to the National Cyber Security Centre by forwarding it to [email protected] (NCSC guidance).
If the email includes a crypto wallet address, you can check on Chainabuse whether it has been reported.
Someone who actually has your images
According to the NCA, offenders may use hacked accounts and AI-generated or manipulated images. The NCA says most of this is run by organised crime groups based overseas, chasing quick money, and that boys aged 14 to 17 and men aged 18 to 30 are particularly at risk.
What to do in the first hour
In the first hour: don't pay, keep the evidence, report the account, and report it to the police.
- Don't pay and stop contact. There is no guarantee that paying will stop the threats, and the offender may ask for more.
- Don't delete anything. Save the whole conversation, the account's username and profile details, the payment demand, and any wallet address or bank details. The NCA asks victims to keep messages, images and financial records.
- Report the account to the platform where the contact happened, and block it. If you want to step away from your own account, the NCA suggests deactivating it rather than deleting it.
- If you've already paid, write down every payment: date, amount, the wallet address or account it went to, and the transaction ID (TXID) for crypto.
- Report it to the police on 101 or online. If you're under 18, you can report to CEOP instead.
- If you're under 18, tell an adult you trust.
Where to report
| Your situation | Where to report | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Someone holds real images of you, or says they do, and is threatening to share them | Your local police: 101, online through police.uk, or 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm | Where the NCA says to report sextortion. |
| An email claiming the sender has recorded you | Forward the suspicious email to [email protected] (National Cyber Security Centre) | The NCSC analyses reported emails and can get malicious sites taken down. |
| You're under 18 | CEOP Safety Centre, or your local police | CEOP is part of the National Crime Agency; a Child Protection Advisor picks up the report. |
| You're 18 or over and your images have been posted | The platform's own reporting option, then your local police | The platform can act on the post. Sharing an intimate image without consent and threatening to share one are both offences in England and Wales. |
| You have already paid | Your local police on 101 or online | Report the payments with dates, amounts and wallet address or account details. |
| The contact happened on a social network, game or messaging app | That platform's own report-account tool (no link here) | The NCA advises reporting to the platform where the contact happened. |
Your local police: 101, online, or 999
Ring 101 for the police, or report online through police.uk. Ring 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm. Calls to 101 and 999 are free (GOV.UK).
CEOP Safety Centre, for under-18s
CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency. Under-18s can report online sexual abuse or threats at ceop.police.uk/Safety-Centre, and a Child Protection Advisor picks up the report. If a child is in immediate danger, ring 999.
National Cyber Security Centre: report a suspicious email
You can forward a suspicious email to [email protected] (NCSC guidance). The NCSC analyses reported emails and can get malicious sites taken down.
If your images were posted
Report the post to the platform, and report it to the police on 101 or online. In England and Wales, sharing an intimate image without consent and threatening to share one are both criminal offences.
If the person in the image is under 18, report to the police or CEOP.
If you are a parent
Tell your child it isn't their fault, don't pay, keep the evidence, and report it to the police on 101 or to CEOP. The NCA's campaign message to teenage boys is that it is never their fault.
This is not rare. The CEOP Safety Centre received 380 sextortion reports in 2024, according to the NCA.
If you already paid
Don't pay again: the NCA says there is no guarantee that paying will stop the threats. Keep a record of every payment (date, amount, wallet address or account, transaction ID) and report it to the police on 101 or online.
Beware of anyone who offers to make it go away
Be wary of anyone who contacts you offering to get your money back. The Financial Conduct Authority warns that people who have been scammed once are more likely to be targeted again, by "recovery room" scammers who pretend to be legitimate firms.
If you're thinking about hurting yourself
Call NHS 111 and choose the mental health option, or use 111 online. If your life is at risk, or you don't feel you can keep yourself safe, ring 999 or go to A&E now (NHS).
Why report the wallet address publicly
You can report a wallet address on Chainabuse, and you can check there whether an address has already been reported. Chainabuse is separate from the police: report to the police as well.
Frequently asked questions
1. Where do I report sextortion in England?
To your local police. Ring 101, or report online through police.uk. Ring 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm. Under-18s can also report to the CEOP Safety Centre, part of the National Crime Agency.
2. Should I pay the person blackmailing me?
No. The National Crime Agency says there is no guarantee that paying will stop the threats, and the offender may ask for more.
3. Is sextortion a crime in England?
Threatening to share an intimate photo or video is a criminal offence in England and Wales, including when the image doesn't exist, according to GOV.UK. Sharing an intimate image without consent is also an offence.
4. My child is being sextorted. What do I do?
Tell them it isn't their fault. Don't pay, keep the evidence, and report to the police on 101 or to the CEOP Safety Centre. Ring 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm.
5. What should I keep as evidence?
Don't delete anything. The NCA asks victims to keep messages, images, the offender's profile details and bank account details.
6. What should I do if I have already paid?
Don't pay again: the NCA says there is no guarantee that paying will stop the threats. Keep a record of every payment (date, amount, wallet address or account, transaction ID) and report it to the police on 101 or online.
7. Is reporting on Chainabuse the same as reporting to the police?
No. Chainabuse is separate from the police. The NCA says to report sextortion to the police, and you can also check on Chainabuse whether a wallet address has been reported.
