Blog · Safety
Sextortion: how it works, and how to stop it
Sextortion is blackmail: someone gets an intimate photo or video of you — or fakes one — and threatens to send it to your family or post it unless you pay. It is one of the fastest-growing online crimes in India, and it targets ordinary people on dating apps and social media. Knowing how it works is most of the protection.
Take the quiz: would you spot a sextortion scam?How the scam usually works
- 1
A friendly, fast-moving match
The scammer uses an attractive profile, flirts quickly and pushes to move the chat to WhatsApp or Telegram within a few messages.
- 2
A surprise video call
They start a video call, often playing an explicit video or undressing on camera, and record your face and reaction. Some ask you to undress too. Others simply edit your normal photos into fake explicit images.
- 3
The threat
Soon after, the recording or image arrives with a message: pay, or it goes to your family, your colleagues or social media. They often show screenshots of your followers or contacts to make it feel real.
- 4
The fake officials
A common second stage in India is a call from someone claiming to be from the police, the CBI or YouTube, demanding money to “delete the video” or “close the case”. They are part of the same scam. Real police never ask for money over the phone.
Warning signs
- They push to move off the app to WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram almost immediately.
- They want a video call very early, especially late at night.
- The conversation turns sexual much faster than you would expect.
- Their photos look like a model shoot, and their story is vague.
- They ask about your family, workplace or who follows you online.
How to protect yourself
- Keep chatting inside the dating app until you trust someone. Apps have reporting and blocking; WhatsApp gives a stranger your number, name and photo.
- Do not answer video calls from someone you have just met online.
- Do not send intimate photos or videos to someone you have not met and do not trust. If you ever do, keep your face and anything identifying out of the frame.
- Make your social media friends and followers lists private. Scammers use them to find people to threaten you with.
- Be wary of anyone who keeps steering the chat towards sex before you have met.
If it is happening to you
- 1
Do not pay
Paying tells the blackmailer you will pay again. Demands almost always grow, and paying does not make the video disappear.
- 2
Stop replying
Do not negotiate, plead or argue. Stop responding, but do not block them until you have saved the evidence.
- 3
Save the evidence
Take screenshots of the chat, their profile, phone numbers, UPI IDs and any payment receipts. Note dates and times. Do not delete the conversation.
- 4
Report it
Call the national cybercrime helpline on 1930, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. Report the account on the dating app and on WhatsApp or Instagram too. If you are in immediate danger, call 112.
- 5
Tell someone you trust
A friend or family member can help you think clearly. Scammers rely on you feeling ashamed and alone.
- 6
Stop the image spreading
If you are 18 or over and worried an intimate image will be posted, StopNCII.org can help block it on participating platforms without you uploading the image itself.
It is not your fault
Sextortion is a crime, and the person committing it is the criminal — not you, whatever happened on the call. Feeling panic, shame or fear is normal, and that is exactly what the scammer is counting on. If it is affecting your mental health, India’s Tele-MANAS helpline on 14416 is free, confidential and open around the clock.
How MuteMate makes this harder
None of this can stop someone photographing a screen with a second phone, and screenshot blocking only works on Android. Once a chat moves to WhatsApp or another app, MuteMate’s protections no longer apply — which is why staying in the app until you trust someone matters.
- There are no voice or video calls in MuteMate at the moment, so a call inside the app cannot be recorded.
- Photos sent in chat are view-once and disappear about ten seconds after they are opened.
- A profile photo is optional, so you can start without one. Any photo you do add stays blurred to others until they tap to see it, and blurs again when they leave the screen.
- On Android, screenshots and screen recordings are blocked inside the app.
- Profile intros are checked for phone numbers and social handles, which slows down attempts to move you to WhatsApp.
- Women’s profiles are shown only after a live face check confirms a real person.
- You can report a photo you received, even after it has expired, by long-pressing it in the chat. A private copy is kept for our moderators for up to 180 days.
Questions people ask
Should I pay a sextortion blackmailer?
No. Paying almost always leads to more demands, and it does not guarantee the content is deleted. Stop replying, save the evidence and report it on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.
Where do I report sextortion in India?
Call the national cybercrime helpline on 1930, or file a complaint at cybercrime.gov.in. You can also go to your nearest police station. In an emergency, call 112.
Someone called claiming to be the police and asked for money. Is it real?
No. Real police do not call to demand money to delete a video or close a case. These calls are part of the scam. Do not pay, and report the number on 1930.
Can MuteMate help if someone is blackmailing me?
Report the person in the app straight away. Reporting blocks them, closes the chat and sends the report to our moderators. You can also write to our Grievance Officer at support@mutemate.in. For the crime itself, report it on 1930 or at cybercrime.gov.in.
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