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Stop responding, do not pay or send anything else, preserve the threat if you can do so safely, then block and report the account. Tell someone you trust and report the conduct to the platform and appropriate authorities. A threat to share an intimate image without permission is image-based abuse even when nothing has been posted yet. The image may be real, altered, or a deepfake, and the victim may be an adult or a minor.

Take these steps first

  1. End the conversation. Do not pay, send another image, reveal passwords, give access to a phone or account, or follow instructions intended to keep you under the person’s control. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises ignoring demands and cutting off communication.
  2. Preserve evidence without putting yourself at risk. Save the threatening messages, profile page, username, account ID, phone number, email address, payment instructions, and relevant dates. Use screenshots or an export function if available. Do not continue talking to the person just to collect more evidence.
  3. Block and report the account. Use the service’s safety or non-consensual intimate-image reporting route. Reporting can help the platform act even where a threat alone may not be legally actionable.
  4. Tell a trusted person. A friend, relative, counselor, trusted adult, advocate, or law-enforcement contact can help you avoid making decisions while frightened or isolated.
  5. Report the perpetrator. In the United States, options include local law enforcement and the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. If the image was made when the depicted person was under 18, also use the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline.

The person making the threat is responsible for the abuse. You did not cause it by taking an image, sending it privately, trusting someone, or being deceived online. Do not promise yourself that you must solve the situation alone or keep it secret.

What the threat means

Threatening to publish or send an intimate image without permission is commonly called sextortion or image-based abuse. It can involve a current or former partner, an online contact, a stranger demanding money, or someone using a genuine image, a manipulated image, or a deepfake. The conduct can target adults and minors. The fact that the image has not appeared online does not make the threat harmless.

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Legal treatment varies by country, state, and the surrounding conduct. RAINN notes that a threat by itself may not be actionable under every law, but it can still violate a platform’s rules and justify a safety report. Threats involving stalking, violence, hacking, extortion, a minor, or repeated harassment may trigger additional offenses. Report what happened and ask local authorities or a qualified advocate how the law applies where you live rather than assuming a single rule applies everywhere.

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How to preserve evidence safely

Capture the sender’s identity

  • Record the profile URL, display name, username, account number, phone number, email address, and any linked accounts.
  • Save the exact threats, demands, deadlines, payment details, and statements about who will receive the image.
  • Note when the contact occurred and whether the person has tried other accounts or services.

Protect the evidence

Store copies in a location the other person cannot access, such as a separate account or an offline device. Keep the original messages where possible; do not edit screenshots. If the image itself is illegal to possess in your jurisdiction because it depicts a minor, do not download, forward, or create additional copies. Tell investigators what exists and follow their instructions instead.

Evidence collection is optional when it increases danger. If the person can see your device, controls your accounts, lives with you, or has threatened physical harm, prioritize a safe place and immediate support. You can report with the information you already have.

Report through the right channels

Platform report

Use the platform’s reporting menu for non-consensual intimate images, sexual exploitation, harassment, impersonation, or threats. Include the account details and explain whether the material is already posted, where it appears, and whether it depicts a minor. If the first report is closed without action, keep the case number and use the service’s appeal or safety contact route.

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Law enforcement and the FBI

Contact local police if you fear immediate harm, know the person’s identity, or the conduct includes stalking, violence, hacking, money demands, or repeated contact. In the United States, the FBI accepts tips at tips.fbi.gov and by phone at 1-800-CALL-FBI. The FBI warns, “Don’t fall prey to for-profit companies charging sextortion victims for help.” Be cautious of anyone who promises guaranteed removal, prosecution, or recovery in exchange for an upfront fee.

When the image was made before age 18

If the depicted person was under 18 when the image or video was created, report it to NCMEC’s CyberTipline as well as the platform and law enforcement. NCMEC’s phone number listed by the FTC is 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678). Do not resend the material to prove the report; provide links, account information, and a description through the reporting process.

Use local routes outside the United States

The FBI, FTC, CyberTipline, and the U.S. removal timetable described below are U.S.-specific. Elsewhere, contact local police or a cybercrime unit, use the platform’s safety channel, and seek a local sexual-violence or domestic-abuse service. A local advocate can explain preservation, privacy, and court options under the law where you live.

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Choose an image-hashing service by the person’s age when the image was made

Hashing creates a digital fingerprint from an image on your device. Participating services can compare that fingerprint with uploads and act on matching material without requiring the original image to be uploaded to the hashing service. The correct route depends on the depicted person’s age when the image was made, not only on their age today.

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Situation Service Eligibility or purpose What it does
The depicted person was 18 or older when the image was made and is currently 18 or older StopNCII The person is depicted in the image and still has the file Creates a hash on the person’s device and shares the hash with participating companies that can detect and remove matching images
The image or video was made when the depicted person was under 18 NCMEC’s Take It Down Designed for images made before the depicted person turned 18 Provides the age-appropriate hashing route identified by RAINN and the FTC

StopNCII for eligible adults

StopNCII is free. Its eligibility conditions are that you are currently at least 18, were at least 18 when the image was taken, you are depicted in it, and you still possess the image. The service says the image itself is not downloaded; a hash is generated on your device and shared with participating companies. StopNCII reports that it has removed more than 300,000 individual non-consensual intimate images and cites an “over 90% removal rate.” Those are the service’s own reported figures, not an independent evaluation or a promise about an individual case.

Take It Down for images made before 18

Use NCMEC’s Take It Down when the depicted person was under 18 at the time of creation, including when that person is now an adult. Follow the service’s instructions and avoid sending the image to anyone who does not need it for the report.

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Understand hashing’s limits

  • It works through participating platforms, not every website, app, or private service.
  • It is strongest for an exact match. Cropping, editing, filters, or a new screenshot may require a separate hash if you have that version.
  • Most encrypted messaging services cannot scan content in the way participating public platforms can.
  • Hashing cannot guarantee that an image will never be shared or that every existing copy will be removed.

If the image is already online in the United States

For platforms covered by the U.S. Take It Down Act, the FTC says users must have a way to request removal of a non-consensual intimate image. After a request, the covered platform must remove the reported image and known identical copies within 48 hours. This is a U.S. rule for covered platforms; it is not a worldwide deadline.

  1. Save the page URL and account details without forwarding the image.
  2. Submit the platform’s removal request and identify every location you can find.
  3. Keep the confirmation, ticket number, and time of submission.
  4. If the request route is missing or broken, or the platform has not removed the material within 48 hours, report the platform’s noncompliance through TakeItDown.ftc.gov, as directed by FTC guidance.

Removal of one page does not remove copies saved elsewhere, material sent privately, or altered versions. Continue reporting new locations and consider hashing the eligible image.

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Secure your accounts after the immediate crisis

Do not give the threatening person more access while trying to fix the problem. From a device they cannot control:

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  • Change the password for the affected account and for any account that reused it.
  • Turn on multifactor authentication and review recovery email addresses and phone numbers.
  • Sign out unknown sessions, remove unfamiliar connected apps, and check cloud-photo sharing settings.
  • Set social profiles and friend lists to the most private practical setting, and tell contacts not to engage with or forward suspicious messages.
  • Check whether the person has installed remote-access software or controls a shared device; seek technical help before deleting evidence.

These steps reduce further access but do not replace reporting or support. If the threat comes from a partner or ex-partner who can reach you physically, make account changes as part of a safety plan with an advocate so the change does not escalate danger.

Get confidential support

Shame, fear, anger, and embarrassment are common reactions. You are a victim of abuse, and asking for help is appropriate even if the image has not been posted.

  • RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline: free, confidential, and available 24/7 in English and Spanish at 800.656.HOPE (4673), by chat at RAINN.org/hotline, or by texting HOPE to 64673.
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), text START to 88788, or live chat at thehotline.org.
  • NCMEC: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) for situations involving a minor.

If you are in immediate danger, call your local emergency number. A hotline advocate can help you decide what to report, how to preserve evidence, and how to make a plan that fits your living situation. Do not promise that a report will lead to an investigation, prosecution, or complete removal; outcomes depend on the platform, evidence, jurisdiction, and circumstances.

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A practical decision guide

Your situation First actions Additional route
Only a threat; nothing found online Stop contact, preserve safe evidence, block, report the account, tell someone Local law enforcement or the FBI; platform safety report
Image already posted on a covered U.S. platform Save URLs, submit a removal request, keep the ticket and deadline FTC report if the route fails or the 48-hour removal requirement is not met
Image was made when the depicted person was under 18 Do not forward the file; report to the platform and authorities NCMEC CyberTipline and Take It Down
Eligible adult still has the image Report the threat or post and secure accounts StopNCII hashing through participating companies
Immediate physical danger or coercive partner Reach a safe person or place and contact emergency services or an advocate RAINN or the National Domestic Violence Hotline safety planning

What not to do

  • Do not pay a ransom or assume one payment will end the threats.
  • Do not send a “final” image, identification document, password, verification code, or device access.
  • Do not hire a company promising guaranteed deletion or criminal charges without independent legal advice.
  • Do not forward the image to friends, group chats, or social media while asking for help.
  • Do not blame yourself or delay support because you believe you should have recognized the person earlier.

Sources and further help

The FTC explains reporting, removal requests, and U.S. consumer options in Image-Based Abuse: What To Know and Do. The FBI’s sextortion guidance is available at Financially Motivated Sextortion. RAINN’s reporting guidance, including support contacts and Take It Down information, is at Report Intimate Images, Deepfakes, & Fake Nudes. StopNCII’s eligibility and process are at StopNCII.org.

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