Hey everyone, I made a huge mistake and I need some advice. I’m young, and I got a message on TikTok from someone who claimed to be a girl. They convinced me to switch to a private messaging app, which I did without thinking. They had someone making videos for them to make it look real, and I fell for it. I ended up sending some personal pictures. They then asked for full face pics, and shortly after, started sending screenshots of the pictures and chats, saying I needed to send £200. I got scared and sent £100 before my bank wouldn’t let me send the rest. I called a helpline, and they told me that usually, the threats don’t go anywhere. After blocking them, they kept calling and texting, but I ignored them, and they stopped eventually. Has anyone been in a similar situation? Should I be worried or is it going to be okay?
/u/Past-Sorbet6073 - This message is posted to all new submissions to this forum; please do not message the moderators about it.
New users beware:
Because you posted here, you may start receiving private messages from scammers pretending to know a hacker or recovery expert who can help you get your money back for a small fee. We call these RECOVERY SCAMMERS, so NEVER take advice privately. Only trust comments in this post where the community can keep an eye on things. If you follow advice in private, you’re on your own.
A reminder of the forum rules: no sharing personal info (including last names, phone numbers, etc). Be civil (no insults). No posts about “scamming the scammer” or requests for personal armies. Also, no uncensored photos without blurring. A full list of rules is available on the sidebar or clicking here.
You can help by reporting recovery scammers or rule-breakers using the “report” button. We review all reports. Consider warning others in the comments if you spot scammers.
Questions? Send a modmail here.
This is a common scam, known as sextortion. Just ignore anyone asking you to switch apps and remember, most random people don’t want to see those kinds of pictures. It’s okay now, they’ve probably moved on to the next person. If they do send the photos anywhere, just say it’s an AI deepfake made by a scammer.
@Gianna
Thanks so much for the reassurance!
@Gianna
Hi /u/Helostopper, AutoModerator explained the sextortion scam. This happens when someone convinces you to go to a different app, ask for explicit pictures (with your face included), then threatens to share them unless you pay. The best thing to do is block the scammer and stay private on socials for a while. Don’t pay them, it just encourages them. If you fell for this, join the sextortion subreddit and check their sticky post for more help: Sextortion Help
Be cautious of recovery scammers offering help with hacking or getting back at the extorter. They can’t help, it’s just another scam to take your money.
Whatever you do, don’t send them more money. They’ll just keep asking for more. They’re not going to take the time to contact your family or friends; it would waste their time. If they do send anything out, tell people it’s an AI-generated fake from a jealous ex.
@Evans
I wouldn’t say they have no incentive. I’ve had three friends who had their photos sent to family members. Not saying to send money, just don’t send NSFW pics to random people! OP is lucky nothing went further. Definitely use this as a lesson about staying safe online, especially since you mentioned being ‘quite young.’
There are two ways this can end:
1/ Don’t pay – They have your photos.
2/ Pay – They have your photos, your money, and will come back asking for more.
This happens all the time, every day. Just keep ignoring them. Sending money won’t stop them from using your photos. If your photos do go online, just accept that it’s unlikely anyone you know will see them. Even if you had paid them, they might have still shared the pics with others for fun.
Please don’t harm yourself over this. It’ll be okay in the end.
I’m just looking to see if anyone else had someone similar to this.
Sadly, stories like yours get posted here every day. The advice is always the same: ignore the threats, block the senders, don’t pay, and stop sending private pictures to strangers. Since you’ve already sent money, and showed them you could be threatened, expect them to contact you again.
Dude, porn is free and doesn’t blackmail you after you’re done.
You’ll be fine. One day, you’ll look back and laugh about this. Don’t worry about it.
Don’t stress. Don’t send them more money. They really can’t do much.
It’s so sad that kids today are so disconnected from real human interaction and are so desperate for attention that this keeps happening. It’s heartbreaking to see.
First, contact your bank or payment app. Change your password and possibly the email tied to your bank account. Contact your phone provider too. If you have an iPhone, Apple will help make your phone secure. Consider talking to the police since you were blackmailed. Your boundaries were violated, and I’m worried about how this could affect you psychologically. If you need help, contact a support service like RAINN. If cost is a concern, a local college might have peer support. You can also ask your high school counselor for help without going into details. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Don’t let this become something you can’t move past. If you don’t deal with it, it could affect you in the future. You’ll heal, I’m sure of it. Everyone makes mistakes. This will be something you’ll laugh about one day.