You might have heard about cases where people are blackmailed based on private pictures with use or messages. What this cybercrime is known as? What is sextortion? These days when the internet, dating sites, social media, or other explicit sites are increasing, the cases of sex scams is also increasing. What is it all about? How does sextortion happen? What are the things to know about sextortion? And finally, how can you avoid it are some of the major questions surrounding it. In this article, we will tell you all about sextortion and how to cope with it.
What is Sextortion?
When you hear about sex scams, often people think about what is sextortion. Sextortion is one of the ways of blackmailing or extorting money or sexual favors from people by threatening them to reveal their sexual activities or their private pictures. Both males and females have become victims of sextortion. There are many warning signs of sextortion the need is to recognize them. Even if you are sharing your private pictures with someone you must make sure that there are no identification marks or your face in those pictures such that recognition is not possible. Also, avoid sharing your personal and private details with anyone. But how does sextortion happens? This is what we will be looking at next.
Ways by which sex scams happen
Sextortion usually occurs through various sites. There are various ways by which sex scammers trap people. This is one of the things to know about sextortion. In this section, let’s examine the various ways by which sex scams take place.
1. Most of the cases come from dating sites
One of the ways for how does sextortion happens is through dating sites. Most of the time we need someone on various dating sites and end up having to send them our pictures. Usually, sex scandals meet people online through dating sites and present themselves as genuine and caring so that they can easily trap the other person when they have gained the trust of the victim they usually demand personal pictures or videos. This is one reality of online dating. Later on, these people start by blackmailing or sextortion using these pictures or videos or even their past incidents. Most of the cases of sex black meaning have been coming from various dating sites.
2. People blackmail through cryptocurrency exchange sites
One of the things to know about sextortion is that it usually traps its victim after looking at the bank balance. These days, sex scams have evolved through various cryptocurrency exchange sites. The scammers look for their victims through the sites after looking at how much they are investing in the cryptocurrency. Later they gather all the information about the person including their details and blackmail them by making some fake scenarios with little real incidences. If you have ever done any such sexual activity you will be easily trapped by them and end up being blackmailed. There have been cases like this in the recent few years after cryptocurrency gained a lot of prominence.
3. There are cases of misuse of photographs
One of the ways of how does sextortion happens is by misuse of photographs. Often people post their pictures on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. There have been cases where fake IDs are made using these pictures but these fake IDs later on take the shape of sextortion. Scammers take your photos from these sites and misuse them by forging those pictures into sexually explicit images and then start to blackmail you. Also at times your friends or people who are not true to you can leak your pictures for their benefit. This is one of the signs of fake friends. This is one of the most common ways of how people get into a web of sextortion.
4. Porn sites are one of the location
One of the things to know about sextortion is that porn sides are one of the locations by which people get into the web of sextortion. when you open porn sites there are various ads like getting sexual pleasure at low cost, earning thousands in simple steps, login in for more sexual content, etc. People after seeing that get easily attracted to it and give the credentials or contact the sites. Usually, after this sec blackmailing begins as they have all your details and can easily use it in varied ways to scam you or blackmail you either by extorting money by leaking your search details, or by extorting money through job fraud. So you must take care that you don’t click on any suspicious links or get trapped by these ads.
5. This can happen in the form of showing extra love
One of the warning signs of sextortion is that you should be aware especially when one is showing you extra love only after meeting you recently. This can also be one of the signs your boyfriend is using you. When one starts to show you extra love and attention okay only after knowing you for a little time then you should get aware. If they have closed you recently and talking about sex, nudes, or sharing explicit images or videos but not fully opening up about themselves then you must be aware that there may be something wrong here. This is just how to avoid sextortion by being aware. Most of the time people with wrong intentions come with being extra sweet to you and then trap you in their planning.
6. Sextortion Can Happen Through sexting
One of the ways of how does sextortion happens is through sexting. Many people wonder whether is online sex safe or not. Many times people sext with strangers as well. Sexting usually refers to sex chatting through mobile phones and sharing sexually explicit pictures, messages, videos, and other content. When people sext each other, they share their pictures and other messages. These messages and pictures are often leaked by any one of the partners who have the wrong intention. One of the things you can do to avoid this is you delete all the messages and pictures after sending them or use an app that automatically deletes all the messages on both the person’s phone. Further, you should also make sure that there is no cloud storage so that the videos or photos are not saved automatically.
Ways to cope with sextortion
Knowing about what is sextortion can never be enough, you must also know how to deal with it, so that you don’t end up here or if someone known to you is probably falling into it you can help them out. So, here are the ways to cope up with sextortion
1. Take screenshots or record the phone calls
To avoid getting trapped in sex blackmailing or even if you are trapped in a sex scam, in both cases you should always take screenshots and record the phone calls. Take the screenshot of all the chats and record any blackmail call you receive that will help get out of the trap easily. This is how to avoid sextortion in most cases. Don’t forget to update all the pictures and recordings to the police or cyber cell.
2. Talk to your family about how to recover from sextortion
The next important step of how to deal with sextortion is to talk to your family. If you are trapped in sextortion then you must not be afraid of sharing about it. Many times the victim falls into depression. You must then go for depression counseling. Taking the support of your family will not only help you deal with the sex scam but you will get moral and emotional support.
3. Register a complaint in a police station or cyber cell
One of the ways to cope up with sextortion is to register a complaint in the police station or cyber cell. Know what is cyberbullying. Usually, internet blackmailing comes under cyberbullying. However, if you are not aware of the same you can go to the police station. Do not fear filing a complaint and informing the police. It will only make things difficult for you.
4. Do not pay or fear
Among other ways of how to deal with sextortion, one is to never pay any money. Once you pay them money they will again ask you for money and blackmail you for the same. Therefore, never pay them any amount even though they threaten you. Also, one step in how to recover from sextortion is to never fear. Fear is a weapon of scammers so don’t fear and be strong.
5. Never be involved in sharing your photos with identification marks or face
Another way how to deal with sextortion is to never share your photos with your face or identification marks. First of all, avoid sharing your nudes with anyone and even if you are sharing, avoid sharing them with any kind of identification mark that can cause you trouble. You must learn how to say no in a relationship. Do not leave any spot for identification.
Conclusion
The bottom line is that knowing what is sextortion is essential in today’s generation as it is a generation that spends most of its time on the internet. The Internet is the source of most of the sex scams. People very easily fall into the trap of sex scammers and end up losing money, privacy, and mental peace. Many people even have anxiety attacks. Knowing how to recover from sextortion and again live life normally is necessary to gain mental peace. You can go for anxiety counseling to recover from the traumatic event. This is how to deal with sextortion. You must file a complaint and inform the cyber cell about the incident so that necessary steps are taken and always remember not to share your pictures with anyone.
FAQ’S
1. What are some of the warning signs of sextortion?
Some of the warning signs of sextortion are that things do not make sense or are logical. Certain things make you think about their truth. Their words or actions do not match or their profile says something different about them than what they say. They would come close to you very soon. They would make excuses about sharing their details with you or sending you their pictures. These are some of the red flags of sextortion.
2. How to avoid sextortion?
There are many ways how to avoid sextortion. To avoid sextortion you must remember that you should not send your nudes with any identification marks on it or your face. Whenever you visit a site, do not click on unknown links or get into any job that offers quick money and those especially related to sexual issues. If you are sexting someone, make sure you and the other person use an app that does not allow screenshots or recording and also where messages are deleted automatically.
3. How Sextortion can take place?
Sextortion can take place for many things like in the form of blackmailing, defaming someone, sexually exploiting someone, etc. It usually takes in ways like forging your photos and putting your face in any sexually explicit pictures, blackmailing using the screenshots of your chats, using the nudes you ever shared, falsely trapping you by telling you imaginary things by adding few trial details and if you have ever done any sexual activity, you would fall into the trap.
4. What is the difference between sexting and sextortion?
Sexting is not illegal. It is only a means of chatting with someone by sharing sexually explicit pictures, videos, and messages to gain sexual pleasure and arousal. However, it can take the face of sextortion if the intention of the other person is not good but not sexting leads to sextortion if precautions are taken. Sextortion is a sex scam or blackmailing by using your nudes forging photos or using screenshots. There are many ways in which Sextortion can take place.
5. What to do if the pictures or videos are released?
Some of the ways to cope up with sextortion if you get trapped in it are first you must make a complaint at a cyber cell or police station. After registering the complaint, you must send a notice to the websites to take down the pictures and videos. Cooperate with the cell in the investigation and never pay any money if you are asked to. Inform your family about it and seek their support.
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