CYBER HELP · SEXTORTION · CONFIDENTIAL

Blackmailed after a video call? What to do about sextortion

Reviewed by the VirtualVakil legal team · Last reviewed:

SHORT ANSWER

Do not pay and do not negotiate: paying does not get the video deleted and often leads to more demands. Stop replying, save the evidence (the profile, chat, phone numbers and payment requests), make your social accounts private and report on cybercrime.gov.in or 1930. Recording and threatening to share intimate images is a crime under the IT Act and the BNS; you are the victim, and the content can be reported for removal.

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Before anything else

  1. Do not pay, not even a small amount 'to end it'.
  2. Stop replying, but do not delete the chat. Take screenshots that show the profile name, profile link or number, and the threats.
  3. Make your Instagram and Facebook accounts private and hide your friends or followers list, so the blackmailer cannot see whom to send it to.
  4. Report on cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930. If you feel overwhelmed, call Tele-MANAS on 14416, a free government helpline.
Step by step

How to deal with sextortion, step by step

  1. Stop contact and refuse to pay

    Blackmailers rely on panic. Once you stop responding and do not pay, you take away the reason to keep pressing you. Block the account after you have saved the evidence.

  2. Preserve the evidence

    Screenshots of the chat with dates, the profile URL or ID, phone numbers, UPI IDs or payment links they sent, and any call log. Keep them in one folder.

  3. Lock your accounts

    Make social accounts private, hide friend and follower lists, and change passwords. Warn a few close people if you think they may be contacted.

  4. Report it

    File on cybercrime.gov.in (it has a category for crimes against women and children involving sexual content) or call 1930. Report the blackmailer's account inside the app as well.

  5. Ask for the content to be taken down

    If an image or video is posted, report it to the platform. Adults can use StopNCII.org to block intimate images on participating platforms; for anyone under 18, use Take It Down (NCMEC) and report to the police.

  6. Watch for the 'police' follow-up

    A common second stage is a call from a fake police officer or 'YouTube official' saying a case has been registered and demanding money to settle it. No genuine police officer settles a case for money over a call.

You are not in trouble for being recorded

The offence is committed by the person who records, threatens and demands money. Reporting it does not make you an accused. If you are worried about your privacy while reporting, tell us and we will explain how the complaint is handled.

The law

Which sections usually apply

Sections of law that usually apply
SectionWhat it covers
BNS S. 308Extortion: putting a person in fear of injury, including to reputation, to obtain money or property.
BNS S. 351Criminal intimidation, including threats to a person's reputation.
IT Act S. 66ECapturing, publishing or transmitting an image of a person's private area without consent.
IT Act S. 67 and S. 67APublishing or transmitting obscene or sexually explicit material in electronic form.
BNS S. 77Voyeurism, where the victim is a woman.

The police decide which sections go into the FIR after looking at your facts. This list is a guide, not a charge sheet.

If you want help

Three ways we can help

Free guidance on WhatsApp

Tell us what happened. We tell you what to do next and which law applies. Starting is free.

We file your complaint: ₹999

We draft your cybercrime.gov.in complaint, bank dispute letter, police follow-up and ombudsman escalation, and follow up with you on WhatsApp.

See what ₹999 covers

Cyber Surety membership

A membership, not insurance: ethical hackers and lawyers on WhatsApp 24×7 for the next incident. Cyber-loss cover included, up to plan limits. T&C apply.

Plans on codesnag.ai

Prefer to file it yourself? Reporting on 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in is free. The step-by-step portal guide is on codesnag.ai: how to file a cyber crime complaint. All our cyber questions are on the cyber help page.

Frequently asked

What people ask

Will they really post the video if I do not pay?

There is no way to know. What is clear is that paying does not guarantee deletion and often leads to further demands. Reporting gives the police and the platforms a chance to act.

Should I pay a small amount to make it stop?

No. Any payment tells the blackmailer that you will pay again. Keep the payment request as evidence instead.

Someone called saying a police case is filed against me over the video. Is that real?

Treat it as part of the same scam. Genuine police do not call to settle a case for money, and they do not ask for payment to close a complaint. Do not pay; add the call to your complaint.

Can I get the video removed from the internet?

You can report it to the platform where it appears, use StopNCII.org (adults) or Take It Down (under 18) for participating platforms, and include the links in your cybercrime.gov.in complaint so that the authorities can seek removal.

Is this confidential if I contact VirtualVakil?

Yes. Your chat is handled only by the team working on your matter. Tell us on WhatsApp what happened, in as much or as little detail as you are comfortable with, and we will tell you the next step.
Official sources

Where these rules come from

Last reviewed: 19 Oct 2026. This page gives legal information, not legal advice for your specific case. Rules and portals change; if anything here differs from the official source, the official source prevails. VirtualVakil is not a government portal.

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