WhatsApp Scam Reports
Sextortion / Blackmail
What is a Sextortion / Blackmail scam?
After coaxing you into intimate photos or a recorded video call, the contact threatens to send the material to your family, friends, or colleagues unless you pay. Paying never ends it — stop contact, keep evidence, and report to the police.
Red flags to watch for
- The contact quickly pushes toward intimate photos, video, or a recorded call.
- A screen recording or screenshot is claimed to already exist, used as leverage.
- Payment is demanded to prevent sharing the material with your contacts, family, or employer.
- The account contacting you is new, has few posts, or the profile photos don't reverse-image-search as a real, matching person.
What to do
Stop contact and don't pay -- paying doesn't make it stop, it confirms you will. Keep every message and image as evidence, report the account to the platform, and report it to your local police rather than negotiating with the contact.
How common this is, officially
IC3's "Sextortion" category received 75,000 complaints in 2025, with reported losses of $44 million.
— FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 Internet Crime Report
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Frequently asked questions
How is a scam type determined for a report?
The reporter selects it when filing, from a fixed list of common patterns -- not inferred automatically from the notes.
What if a report matches more than one pattern?
Reporters pick the single closest match. Read the notes on each report for the full description, which often blends more than one tactic.
How often is this page updated?
Immediately — every count here reflects the reports on file in real time, not a periodic snapshot.
Report this to official agencies
This case file is a self-reported community record, not an official investigation. If you were targeted, consider also filing a report with a national or international fraud authority:
- FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)United States
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC)United States
- Action FraudUnited Kingdom
- Scamwatch (ACCC)Australia
- Canadian Anti-Fraud CentreCanada
- CERT NZNew Zealand
- National Cyber Crime Reporting PortalIndia
- ScamShieldSingapore
- Anti-Deception Coordination CentreHong Kong
- EuropolEuropean Union
- INTERPOLGlobal
- econsumer.gov (ICPEN)Cross-border complaints