How to report sextortion in Scotland
Don't pay, stop contact and keep everything, then report it to Police Scotland on 101, through its online form or at your local station, and to the platform where the contact happened. Ring 999 if you are in immediate danger.
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 has been a crime in Scotland since 2017, and the Scottish Government's advice to parents is blunt: victims are not to blame, and the criminals who trick them are.
Key points
- Don't pay. Police Scotland warns that people who pay may still have their images shared, or be asked for more.
- Report to Police Scotland: online, on 101, or in person. Ring 999 if you're in immediate danger. Report Fraud covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, not Scotland.
- If you're under 18, tell an adult you trust and report it to the police, or report straight to the CEOP Safety Centre, part of the National Crime Agency.
- Under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016, disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate photo or film can mean up to five years in prison.
- If you are in severe distress or having thoughts of self-harm, Police Scotland's advice is to get mental health support. Ring 999 if you are in immediate danger.
Under 18? Report it to Police Scotland on 101 (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. Police Scotland asks you to report phishing emails to the National Cyber Security Centre: forward them to [email protected] (NCSC guidance). If you've already paid, report it to Police Scotland on 101.
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. Police Scotland lists deepfakes used for sextortion among the illegal uses of AI imagery. 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. Police Scotland says people who pay may still have their images shared, or be asked for more.
- Don't delete anything. Save the messages and posts. Police Scotland asks you to note what was said or sent, the platform or app, the date and time, and the sender's name or username. Add any wallet address or bank details from the payment demand.
- Report the account to the platform, and block the sender. If you want to step away from your own account, deactivate it rather than delete it.
- If you've already paid, contact your bank, and write down every payment: date, amount, the wallet address or account it went to, and the transaction ID (TXID) for crypto.
- Report it to Police Scotland online, on 101, or at a station. If you're under 18, you can report to CEOP instead.
- Tell someone 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 | Police Scotland: online form, 101, your local station, or 999 if you are in immediate danger | 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 Police Scotland | 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 Police Scotland | The platform can act on the post. Under the 2016 Act, disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate photo or film is an offence in Scotland. |
| You have already paid | Police Scotland on 101 or online, and your bank | Police Scotland's advice is to contact your bank if you have paid. 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. |
Police Scotland: online, 101, in person, or 999
Police Scotland takes sextortion reports through its online contact form, on 101, or in person at your local police station. Ring 999 in an emergency. Its sextortion advice page sets out what to have ready: what was said or sent, where, when, and the sender's username.
Report Fraud covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland only, and the UK government's own guidance sends people in Scotland who have lost money to Police Scotland on 101.
CEOP Safety Centre, for under-18s
CEOP is a command of the National Crime Agency, and Police Scotland points under-18s to it. A young person, or a parent, 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 Police Scotland. In Scotland, actually sharing an intimate image without consent falls under the same 2016 offence as threatening to.
If the person in the image is under 18, report to Police Scotland or CEOP.
If you are a parent
Tell your child they are not to blame, don't panic, and report it to Police Scotland on 101 or to CEOP. The Scottish Government's Parent Club advice is clear that they are not to blame. It also tells parents not to panic: the police will take the case seriously and deal with it in confidence.
Then follow the same steps. Don't pay. Don't talk any further to the criminals, but screenshot their profile and messages. Change passwords and turn on two-step verification.
If you already paid
Don't pay again. Police Scotland's advice is to contact your bank if you've paid. Then report every payment to Police Scotland with dates, amounts, and the wallet address or account details.
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
Police Scotland's sextortion advice says that if you are in severe distress or having thoughts of self-harm, you should get mental health support. If you are in immediate danger, ring 999.
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 Scotland?
To Police Scotland, using its online form, by calling 101, or in person at a police station. Ring 999 in an emergency. Under-18s can also report to the CEOP Safety Centre.
2. Should I pay the person blackmailing me?
No. Police Scotland warns that people who pay may still have their images shared or be asked for more money.
3. Is sextortion a crime in Scotland?
Under the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016, disclosing or threatening to disclose an intimate photo or film is an offence carrying up to five years in prison. It has been in force since 3 July 2017. Police Scotland says that if someone misuses an intimate image or threatens to share it, it's a crime.
4. Can I report sextortion to Report Fraud from Scotland?
No. Report Fraud covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, report to Police Scotland online or on 101.
5. My child is being sextorted. What do I do?
Tell them they're not to blame. Don't pay. Screenshot the messages and profile, then report to Police Scotland on 101 or to the CEOP Safety Centre. Ring 999 if they are in danger.
6. What should I keep as evidence?
Save or screenshot the posts and messages. Police Scotland asks you to note what was said or sent, the platform or app, the date and time, and the sender's name or username.
7. What should I do if I have already paid?
Don't pay again. Police Scotland's advice is to contact your bank if you've paid, and to report the payments to Police Scotland with dates, amounts, and the wallet address or account details.
8. Is reporting on Chainabuse the same as reporting to Police Scotland?
No. Chainabuse is separate from Police Scotland. The NCA says to report sextortion to the police, and you can also check on Chainabuse whether a wallet address has been reported.
