Webcam blackmail or threats to share intimate images: what to do

You are the victim here, not the one in trouble. Help is free.

The answer in 2 lines. Don't pay and don't reply. An email that says it "recorded you through your webcam" is usually a mass-mailed bluff, and the FTC calls it a scam. If someone really has images of you, paying rarely ends it: the FBI says blackmailers often keep demanding money or release the images anyway. Save the evidence, block the person, and report them to the FBI and local police. If the victim is under 18, report to NCMEC's CyberTipline and use its Take It Down tool. If images are posted, the platform has 48 hours to remove them once you make a valid request.

The first 4 steps

Don't pay, and don't send anything else: no money, no gift cards, no more images, no access to your accounts or devices. Paying shows them you'll give in.
Save the evidence before you block anyone: screenshots of the messages, the username, the profile link, the email address, and the payment details they asked for. The FBI asks you not to delete anything until law enforcement has looked at it.
Block the account and report it on the platform, using its report option (often the three dots next to the post or profile).
Report it and talk to someone you trust. Adults: the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), plus local police. Minors or their parents: NCMEC's CyberTipline too.

Stop: danger

A teen or adult who feels hopeless or talks about hurting themselves: stay with them. Call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, free, 24/7), or chat at 988lifeline.org. If they are in immediate danger, call 911.

Two very different situations

Situation	What's going on	What to do
The "I hacked your webcam" email	A message sent to huge numbers of people says your computer or camera was hacked and that you were filmed. It often demands cryptocurrency within hours. The FTC says these emails may quote a real old password, probably taken from a data breach, to seem believable.	Don't pay or reply. Change that password anywhere you still use it. Report the email at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, then delete it.
Blackmail with real images (sextortion)	Someone you met online, often pretending to be your age, got photos or video and now threatens to send them to your friends or family unless you pay.	Don't pay. Save evidence, block, report to the platform, the FBI and police. For anyone under 18, also report to NCMEC.

What not to do

Paying "to make it stop": the demands usually come back, often bigger.
Paying a company that promises to "stop the blackmailer" or "erase the images." The FBI warns against anyone who offers help for a fee, and in October 2026 the FTC sued a company it says charged victims for sextortion help it didn't deliver.
Deleting the whole conversation before you've taken screenshots.
Yelling at a child who tells you: they may not tell you next time. The FBI stresses that this crime is not the victim's fault.

If images have been posted, or you fear they will be

Ask the platform to remove them: use its report button or search its help center. Under the TAKE IT DOWN Act, the platform has 48 hours after a valid request to remove the image and known identical copies.
If the platform doesn't act within 48 hours, or has no way to request removal, file a complaint with the FTC at TakeItDown.ftc.gov.
Under 18 when the image was taken: NCMEC's free Take It Down tool creates a digital fingerprint (a "hash") of the image on your own device, so you never upload it. Participating platforms can then use the fingerprint to find copies and remove them.
Adults: StopNCII.org, a nonprofit tool the FTC and FBI point to, does the same thing for images of people 18 and over.

Who to contact in the US

FBI: report online at tips.fbi.gov, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or contact your local field office. Tell them everything, even the embarrassing parts: it helps them find the offender.
Local police: file a report as well. State laws on sextortion and on sharing intimate images vary, and local police can tell you what applies where you live.
NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children), for minors and parents: report on the CyberTipline, where you can ask to be connected to a person who will support you. You can also call 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or see Is your explicit content out there?
Adults who need support: the FTC suggests the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233, or chat at thehotline.org.
988: call or text in a crisis, and 911 for immediate danger.

Good to know

The FBI warns that these blackmailers often pose as teens, many are based outside the US, and they often target boys. One warning sign: a new contact from a game or app who quickly asks to move to a different app.
The FTC began enforcing the TAKE IT DOWN Act on May 19, 2026. It has a guide for people whose images were shared: Image-based abuse: what to know and do.
Covering your laptop camera when you're not using it is a small, reassuring habit.

Ethan, 15, in Ohio, sends a photo to a "girl" he met in a game chat. That night, the account demands $300 in gift cards or it will send the photo to his friends. He tells his mom. They take screenshots, block the account, and report it on NCMEC's CyberTipline and to the FBI. Ethan uses Take It Down on his phone to fingerprint the photo, and the next morning they file a report with local police. They never pay.

A made-up story, for illustration.

Bobby

Sources, verification, confidence

Verified on November 5, 2026, for the United States. Confidence: high for what to do (don't pay, save evidence, report, removal tools), which the FTC, FBI and NCMEC all describe, and for the 48-hour removal rule. Medium for state-level rules, which vary. This guide describes common cases and is not legal advice.