How to report sextortion in the United States
Don't pay, and don't give in to their demands. Keep the profile and the messages, then report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or ic3.gov and to the platform where they contacted you.
The person sending the threat is committing a crime, and the FTC calls blackmail with intimate images "a serious crime." In 2025 the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received more than 75,000 sextortion reports.
Key points
In short: don't pay, keep the evidence, and report it to the FBI.
- Paying rarely ends it. Federal agencies say cooperating or paying "rarely stops the blackmail."
- Report to the FBI through tips.fbi.gov, 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
- If the victim is under 18, report to the FBI the same way. The FTC also points minors to NCMEC's CyberTipline, and IC3 refers complaints involving minors to NCMEC.
- If images were posted, the platform must take them down within 48 hours of a valid request under the federal TAKE IT DOWN Act. If it doesn't, report the platform to the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov.
- If you are thinking about hurting yourself, call or text 988 now. It is free, confidential, and open 24/7.
Under 18? The FTC says that if it involves a minor, you can also report it through NCMEC's CyberTipline at missingkids.org/gethelpnow/cybertipline. If you have a copy of the image, the FTC points to NCMEC's Take It Down service at takeitdown.ncmec.org. Report to your local police and the FBI as well.
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 recorded you on an adult website and demanding Bitcoin. It may include a real password of yours.
That password came from an old data breach, not from your webcam. The FTC's advice is blunt: don't pay, delete the message, and change that password everywhere you've used it.
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, or says they have, intimate images of you and threatens to share them unless you pay. The image may also be an AI-generated fake: the TAKE IT DOWN Act covers those as well as real photos.
Federal law enforcement has warned that much of this financially motivated sextortion is run from outside the US. They describe teenage boys as the most targeted group. Demands come as money, gift cards or peer-to-peer payment apps.
What to do in the first hour
Don't pay, keep the evidence, report the account to the platform, and report it to the FBI.
- Cut off all contact, stop paying and stop negotiating. Federal agencies say paying rarely stops the blackmail.
- Don't delete the profile or the messages. Keep the conversation, the account's username and profile URL, and the payment demand.
- Report the account to the platform, then block the person.
- If you've already paid, write down every payment, including the full transaction details. IC3's annual report tells fraud victims to include them when they file.
- Report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. If you paid, also file at ic3.gov. For the mass "I recorded you" email, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Tell a trusted friend or family member what is going on, or for a young person a trusted adult.
Where to report
Report to the FBI when someone holds real images, and to IC3 if you paid. Use the table to find your situation.
| Your situation | Where to report | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Someone holds real images of you | FBI: tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI | The FTC says to report perpetrators to local law enforcement and the FBI. |
| A mass "I recorded you" email | ReportFraud.ftc.gov | The FTC's consumer alert on these emails points to it. |
| You are under 18 | FBI (tips.fbi.gov), plus the "Under 18?" box above | The FTC also points to NCMEC's CyberTipline for minors; IC3 refers complaints involving minors to NCMEC. |
| You are 18 or over and images are already posted | The platform's report option, then TakeItDown.ftc.gov | Covered platforms must remove them within 48 hours of a valid request; the FTC enforces the law. |
| You paid | IC3: ic3.gov | IC3's 2025 annual report tells fraud victims to file a complaint at ic3.gov and include the full transaction details. |
| The platform where contact happened (a social app, game or dating app) | The platform's own in-app report option | Reports the account. The FTC also says to block the person. |
FBI: tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI
The FTC tells victims to report to the FBI. Use tips.fbi.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)
ic3.gov is the FBI's online complaint system for internet crime. Its 2025 annual report tells fraud victims to file a complaint there and include the full transaction details, and says IC3 refers complaints involving minors to NCMEC when appropriate.
Local police
The FTC also says to report to local criminal law enforcement, so you can file a report with your local police department.
FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
For the mass Bitcoin email, the FTC takes reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If your images were posted
Ask the platform to take them down, and if it hasn't within 48 hours, report the platform to the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. Since May 2026, the TAKE IT DOWN Act has required covered platforms, including social media, messaging, and image or video sites, to remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. Known copies have to come down too. The law covers AI-generated fakes as well as real photos.
The FTC can fine platforms $53,088 per violation.
If you are a parent
If your child is being sextorted, don't pay, don't delete the profile or the messages, and report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. If it involves a minor, you can also report it through NCMEC's CyberTipline (see the box above). In a 2022 alert, federal agencies encouraged parents and caregivers to talk with kids about sextortion and linked financially motivated sextortion of minors to more than a dozen suicides in a single year.
If you already paid
Stop paying: federal agencies say paying rarely stops the blackmail. Report what you paid to ic3.gov, where you should include the full transaction details.
If you're thinking about hurting yourself
Call or text 988, or chat at 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free, confidential, and available 24/7 (SAMHSA).
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 the FBI.
1. Where do I report sextortion in the United States?
To the FBI, at tips.fbi.gov, by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. You can also report a wallet address on Chainabuse.
2. Is sextortion a crime in the United States?
Yes. The FTC calls blackmail with intimate images "a serious crime" and tells victims to report it to criminal law enforcement.
3. Should I pay the person blackmailing me?
No. Federal agencies say cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail.
4. I got an email saying I was recorded on an adult site, and it has my password. Is it real?
The FTC says the password comes from an old data breach, not from your webcam. Don't pay, delete the email, change that password wherever you use it, and report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
5. My child is being sextorted. What do I do?
Don't pay. Don't delete the profile or the messages. Report to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. For a minor you can also report through NCMEC's CyberTipline, which the FTC names.
6. How do I get my images taken down?
Ask the platform to remove them. Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, covered platforms must remove nonconsensual intimate images within 48 hours of a valid request. If they don't, report the platform at TakeItDown.ftc.gov.
