Scam Help · Free public service
Sextortion Scam: What to Do If Someone Is Blackmailing You
Do not pay. In the cases police have described, paying led to new demands, not to peace. Stop replying, keep screenshots and bank records, tell someone you trust, and report on helpline 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in. You are not at fault. The person who threatens you is the one committing the crime.
If this is happening to you right now: take a breath. Over 22 lakh online fraud incidents were registered on the national portal in 2024 alone, and this kind of scam is built to make you panic and stay silent. You are allowed to stop and ask for help. We are a private company, not the police or a bank, and we cannot recover money or remove content. This page explains the steps official bodies and police describe.
What is sextortion, and what is happening to me?
Sextortion is blackmail. Someone says they have a private image or video of you. They threaten to send it to your family, friends or social media unless you pay.
The threat is the weapon, not the file. In one documented case below, the call was recorded and the man's face was edited into a clip.
This page does not describe any content. You do not need to explain it to anyone to get help.
How big is this problem?
Sextortion is part of a much larger wave of online fraud in India. These are official figures for all cyber fraud, not only sextortion.
| Year | Incidents on the national cybercrime portal | Losses reported by citizens |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,029,026 | Rs 2,290.24 crore |
| 2023 | 1,596,493 | Rs 7,465.18 crore |
| 2024 | 2,268,346 (up 42.08% on 2023) | Rs 22,845.73 crore |
Source: Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 432, answered 2 December 2025. Calendar years 2022 to 2024.
For 2025, ThePrint reported 28.15 lakh cases and at least Rs 22,495 crore lost. It said 19 percent of cases were sextortion, but sextortion was 4 percent of the money lost. In plain words: sextortion is a bigger share of the cases than of the rupees lost.
Source: ThePrint, 21 February 2026, citing data sourced from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Calendar year 2025. Reported figures, not an MHA document we could open.
The government says its financial fraud reporting system has stopped more than Rs 7,130 crore from leaving accounts across more than 23.02 lakh complaints, since the 2021 launch up to 31 October 2025. That is the Ministry's own figure. It is not a promise to any one person.
Source: Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, 17 December 2025.
Who gets targeted?
The two cases below involve a man in his later years and a woman in her forties. Our sources give no age breakdown for sextortion in India, so we do not give one.
The pattern is not about being foolish. It is about being human: wanting company, trusting a video call, or needing a small loan.
How does the scam work, step by step?
- Contact. A friendly, attractive profile appears on social media or a dating app. Delhi Police say this can also happen through matrimonial sites.
- Speed. The stranger rushes closeness and asks for a private video call or photos. Delhi Police name this rush as an alarm sign.
- The trap. In another version, a video call arrives from a stranger. Something staged appears on screen, and the call is recorded or your face is edited into a clip.
- The threat. The clip is sent to you with a promise to share it unless you pay.
- The second wave. After the first payment, new demands come. Sometimes callers pose as police or central agency officers to make the threat feel official.
- Secrecy. You are pushed to pay fast and tell nobody. Research from the University of Cambridge says time pressure steers people toward less careful thinking. Fast and secret is the scammer's plan.
Source: Delhi Police Cyber Cell, Sextortion Frauds (undated page, read 4 October 2026); case reports below; University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, 2009 (general framework, not specific to sextortion).
Is it only video calls? Other versions that use the same fear
| Version | How it starts | The pressure | First step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video call blackmail | Call from a stranger, staged screen, recording | Threat to share a clip with family and friends | Stop replying, keep evidence, call 1930 |
| Dating or matrimonial romance | Fast, warm bond with a fake profile | Gifts stuck at customs, fees, emergencies; sometimes private images used as leverage | Stop paying, cross-check claims, report |
| Loan app harassment | Small, fast loan from an app that asks for contacts and photos | Short deadline, growing amount, edited photographs sent as threat | Stop paying more, keep records, report |
Source: Delhi Police Cyber Cell; case reports from The Tribune (5 February 2024), The Financial World citing Delhi Police (16 April 2026), Deccan Herald (19 November 2025).
Real cases: what happened, the tell, what would have helped
Case 1: a video call, then fake officers (Bhiwani, Haryana)
What happened. A man in his later years took a video call. Something staged appeared on the caller's side. His call was recorded and his face was edited into a clip. The clip came with a threat to post it online. Then callers posing as officials of central and Delhi police agencies pressed him for money. He paid Rs 36.84 lakh over two days in January. When Rs 20 lakh more was demanded, he stopped and told his family. They went to police.
The tell. A stranger's call, a recording, and then "officials" who called right after the threat. A call from someone claiming to be police or a government agency right after a blackmail threat is a red flag. Report it on 1930.
What helped. Telling family and reporting is what broke the cycle. Police said they traced the phone numbers to a district in Rajasthan and arrested eight people, recovering 19 phones. Police said the gang extorted about Rs 3 crore from 728 people.
Source: The Tribune, published 5 February 2024. Payments on 17 and 18 January. Police statements as reported. Arrests are allegations until proven in court.
Case 2: a Rs 2,000 loan and edited photographs (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
What happened. A woman in her forties took a small app loan of Rs 2,000. She had paid Rs 5,734 with interest when callers demanded a further Rs 8,000 and sent her edited photographs of herself as pressure. Police registered an FIR and said an inquiry was under way.
The tell. The demand grew after she paid, and the threats used her own edited photographs.
What would have helped. Checking the app before borrowing. RBI has run a public directory of digital lending apps from 1 July 2025. RBI's 2025 Directions also say apps of the lenders it regulates must not access your contact list or call logs.
Source: Deccan Herald, 19 November 2025, citing the FIR; Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025; Ministry of Finance, Lok Sabha Starred Question 118, answered 8 December 2025.
Should I pay the blackmailer?
No. Delhi Police advise never depositing money on a fraudster's instructions, even a small amount, because they use what you pay to pull more out of you. That advice is written about friendship, customs-gift and matrimonial frauds, but it fits blackmail too. We did not find an official page that says "do not pay" for sextortion in those exact words, so we are quoting no more than they say.
Both cases above show the same thing. In Bhiwani a further Rs 20 lakh was demanded after Rs 36.84 lakh was paid. In Bengaluru Rs 8,000 more was asked after Rs 5,734 was paid.
What should I do right now?
- Stop replying. Do not argue or bargain. Do not send anything more.
- Keep the chat. Do not delete messages or profiles.
- Write down the facts. What was said, when, and from which profile or number.
- Keep screenshots of messages and profiles, plus any bank statements or payment proof. Delhi Police ask for exactly this.
- Tell one person you trust. Shame is the scammer's best tool.
- Report. Call helpline 1930 or go to cybercrime.gov.in. Then lodge a complaint at your nearest police station and keep copies of every document.
Source: Delhi Police Cyber Cell, Sextortion Frauds; Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 432, 2 December 2025; Press Information Bureau, 14 May 2024.
If money has already left your account, call 1930 as soon as you can. Be honest: no one can promise that money comes back, and we cannot do it for you.
What about young people and parents?
Our sources do not give figures for children or teenagers, so we give none. What they do say is useful.
- The national portal lets people report crimes related to women and children, including anonymously.
- Delhi Police advise that nothing which could cause harm or embarrassment if leaked should be posted, shared or recorded, and that no one should let anyone capture private activity on any device.
- In Bhiwani, the turning point was telling family. A young person who comes to you has already done the hardest part.
Parents: stay calm and say clearly that they are not in trouble. Save screenshots before anything is deleted, then report together.
Will someone offer to get my money back?
Be careful, because such offers can be another scam. The US FTC warned on 3 August 2026 that scammers buy lists of people who already lost money and pose as agencies, advocacy groups or law firms, then ask for upfront fees. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre says never pay an advance fee for a refund and never give remote access to your device. The UK FCA calls these recovery room scams and says you may be targeted again.
Source: US Federal Trade Commission consumer alert, 3 August 2026; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Recovery pitch (read 4 October 2026); UK Financial Conduct Authority, Protect yourself from scams (read 4 October 2026).
What breaks the scam?
| What the scammer needs | What breaks it |
|---|---|
| Your fear | Knowing the threat is a tactic and the shame belongs to them |
| Your silence | Telling one trusted person |
| Fast payment | Stopping and not paying |
| A believable "officer" | Treating a call from "officials" right after a threat as a red flag, and reporting it on 1930 |
| Your delay | Reporting early on 1930 |
What to do now
- Do not pay and do not reply.
- Save screenshots, profile details and bank records.
- Tell someone you trust today.
- Call 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in, then visit your nearest police station.
- Ignore anyone who offers to recover your money for a fee.
Keep reading
- What to do in the first hour after a scam
- Scam help in India
- Fund recovery scams
- How scammers manipulate you
- How to check a suspicious message
- Digital arrest scam
- Scam awareness
Common questions
Should I pay a sextortion blackmailer?
No. Delhi Police advise never to deposit money on a fraudster's instructions, even a small amount, because they use it to pull more out of you. In the Bhiwani and Bengaluru cases, demands grew after payment. Stop replying, keep evidence and report.
How do I report sextortion in India?
Call the national helpline 1930 or report at cybercrime.gov.in. Then lodge a complaint at your nearest police station and keep copies of every document. The portal also lets crimes related to women and children be reported, including anonymously.
What evidence should I keep?
Keep the chat, write down the facts, keep screenshots of messages and profiles, and collect bank statements and other payment proof. Delhi Police ask complainants for exactly this, and to keep copies of all documents.
Is sextortion common in India?
ThePrint, citing data sourced from the Ministry of Home Affairs, reported that 19 percent of cyber fraud cases in 2025 were sextortion, but 4 percent of the money lost. It is common, and you are not alone.
Can someone get my money back for a fee?
Be careful. The US FTC, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the UK FCA all warn that people who already lost money can be contacted by recovery scammers asking for fees. Do not pay anyone for this, and do not give remote access.
How can parents help a child being blackmailed?
Stay calm and say clearly that the child is not in trouble. Save screenshots before anything is deleted, then report together on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in, where crimes related to children can be reported anonymously. Telling family broke the cycle in the Bhiwani case.
Sources checked 3 October 2026
- Ministry of Home Affairs, Lok Sabha Unstarred Question 432 (Calendar years 2022 to 2024, answered 2 Dec 2025)
- Press Information Bureau, Cyber Security and Financial Fraud Combat (Since 2021 to 31 Oct 2025, released 17 Dec 2025)
- Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, blackmail calls (14 May 2024)
- ThePrint, citing data sourced from the Ministry of Home Affairs (Calendar year 2025, published 21 Feb 2026)
- Delhi Police Cyber Cell, Sextortion Frauds (Undated page, read 4 Oct 2026)
- Delhi Police Cyber Cell, Facebook Friendship, Custom Charges, Matrimonial Frauds (Undated page, read 4 Oct 2026)
- The Tribune, sextortion racket busted in Bhiwani (Published 5 Feb 2024)
- Deccan Herald, Bengaluru loan app threats (Published 19 Nov 2025)
- Reserve Bank of India (Digital Lending) Directions, 2025 (Issued 8 May 2025)
- Ministry of Finance, Lok Sabha Starred Question 118 (text as reproduced by TaxGuru) (Answered 8 Dec 2025)
- Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre, Cyber Crime Categories (Page updated 11 Mar 2026)
- US Federal Trade Commission consumer alert on recovery scams (3 Aug 2026)
- Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Recovery pitch (Read 4 Oct 2026)
- UK Financial Conduct Authority, Protect yourself from scams (Read 4 Oct 2026)
- University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory, Understanding the psychology of scam victims (2009 report, ACM version March 2011)
Figures are as reported by the named agencies for the periods shown. Reporting rules differ by country, so totals are not directly comparable.