Published: 09/07/2024By: Claire Young
Being blackmailed, whether it is online or in person, is a serious experience that can trigger intense feelings of fear and anxiety. While this can affect your self-esteem and even take a toll on your mental well-being, it is important to note that you’re not powerless. Blackmailing is a serious crime with severe consequences for the blackmailer.
This article will outline the steps to take if you’re being blackmailed on Snapchat. Read on to learn the actions you can take against a blackmailer on Snapchat to keep yourself safe.
On a side note, it is crucial for your well-being to acknowledge your emotions, particularly the negative ones like anxiety, fear, shame, and helplessness. During this challenging period, stay calm and don’t hesitate to reach out for emotional support when needed, and most importantly, never blame yourself. You’re the victim here – not the one to blame.
An Overview of Snapchat Blackmail
Snapchat is a social media platform known for its disappearing messages and photos. It is a standard feature of Snapchat that makes it tricky for blackmailers to gain leverage over users. However, blackmailers can use several tools to bypass this feature, such as recording their screens or simply taking screenshots to save the material they need to blackmail their victims.
Although Snapchat alerts the sender when a recipient takes a screenshot of their snaps, it is often too late as the blackmailer already has the material they need to blackmail their victim.
Considering the younger demographics of Snapchat users, blackmailers frequently target teenagers to extort money.
There are numerous strategies blackmailers use to get teenagers to fall into their traps, with ‘sextortion‘ being one of the most common. This is where the blackmailer threatens to release intimate images to friends and family unless they receive a payment.
Do These Things if You’re Being Blackmailed on Snapchat
You aren’t helpless regardless of what a blackmailer uses against you on Snapchat. If you’re being blackmailed on Snapchat, here are five actions to protect yourself.
1) Don’t Engage With the Blackmailer
At first, you may be tempted to reason with the blackmailer or meet their demands, no matter how big or small, but this will only make the situation worse. It will make you the perfect target for the blackmailer as it will indicate to them that you’re ready to do what they demand.
Once you notice that you’re being blackmailed on Snapchat, or even hints of it, block the blackmailer and never respond to any of their messages or snaps if they use an alternate account. However, before blocking them, make sure that you collect your evidence for the crime they’re committing, which brings us to our next point.
2) Preserve Blackmail Evidence
While avoiding engaging with the blackmailer, focus on preserving the evidence by taking screenshots of their blackmail messages and snaps. Capture all the messages, mentions of any content the blackmailer threatens to expose to others, and their Snapchat username.
Throughout this process, keeping a log of the date and time, along with any identifying information of the blackmailer, is crucial. If you know anything about their identity, you will have the upper hand when taking legal action.
If you’ve given in and met any of their demands, keep records of the transactions as well, whether it is money, gift cards, content, or anything else. Preserving all these will provide you with legal safety, as you will have the evidence of the crime the blackmailer is committing.
3) Change Your Snapchat Privacy Settings
After blocking the blackmailer on Snapchat, they will likely contact you using another account. You can change your Snapchat privacy settings to prevent the blackmailer from reaching you.
Take advantage of the following Snapchat privacy features to ensure that the blackmailer has no way of contacting you.
- Change Who Can Message You: After being blackmailed on Snapchat, prevent the blackmailer from messaging you using other accounts by setting who can contact you to friends only.
- Change Who Can See Stories: The same as who can message you, set the story visibility to only friends.
- Disable Location: Disabling your location on Snapchat is another action you can take to prevent the blackmailer from finding you.
- Turn Off Quick Add: Quick Add is an easy way for Snapchat users to find new people through recommendations. Since the blackmailer can also find you using this feature, disable it to prevent others from seeing your Snapchat profile through Quick Add.
Additionally, use the privacy features of the social media and messaging platforms the blackmailer has used to contact you. For example, deactivate your Instagram account for some time if the blackmailer threatens to expose their blackmailing material to the people in your followers.
4) Investigate the Blackmailer
Finding the identity of the person who’s blackmailing you isn’t an easy feat, as most blackmailers use catfish accounts, which in itself can be illegal. It might seem impossible to learn who’s blackmailing you, but there are many resources that can help.
Any information or contact details you have about the blackmailer can be used against a blackmailer to find their identity. If they call you by phone or text on a messaging app, you can use their phone number to find their identity.
Our phone search is an excellent tool for this, as it will detail who owns the number, from their identity and social media accounts to criminal records and address information. Simply enter any phone number the blackmailer uses to contact you, and you’ll learn everything about it.
Besides using our reverse phone number lookup tool, investigate the blackmailer’s profile and your conversations on Snapchat before blocking them. This will help you collect information that might be valuable to find their identity, such as email addresses and the content they send.
Finding even the smallest details about the blackmailer will not only assist you in finding their identity but also become extremely useful when taking legal action.
5) Consult a Lawyer
Blackmailing, whether online or in person, is a crime. If you’re considering taking legal action, navigating this process and filing a lawsuit on your own can feel even more overwhelming and emotionally impactful than the experience of being blackmailed.
Consider consulting a lawyer to understand your legal options. After reviewing the evidence you collected and other details, a lawyer can provide guidance on the legal actions to take.
They can help you file a report with law enforcement and take the necessary actions to file a lawsuit against the blackmailer. When applicable, lawyers can also assist you in sending legal takedown requests on any website or platform that might have published your content.
Overall, consulting a lawyer will ensure that you won’t be on your own as you handle this dark period from a legal perspective.
Coping With the Experience of Being Blackmailed on Snapchat
It isn’t easy to cope with the experience of being blackmailed on Snapchat. It can become a traumatic experience, going as far as losing your trust in others. However, you don’t have to face it alone.
Reaching out to a trusted family member or friend can help you navigate the situation. Acknowledging your feelings and speaking to friends and family about it will positively impact your mental well-being. The people in your life can be the listening ear you need and help taking practical actions, such as preserving evidence of the crime and contacting the relevant authorities.
You can also connect with others who have gone through similar experiences. Sharing your experience and connecting with others who understand what you’re going through can help you cope with being blackmailed. Reddit is an excellent place to find people with similar experiences you can relate to and share your story.
Above all else, know that you matter. Your life is far more valuable beyond this experience. If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please reach out for help. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or text HOME to 741741 to the Crisis Text Line.
Prevent Being Blackmailed on Snapchat in the Future
We’ve provided valuable insights into what to do when being blackmailed on Snapchat. Following the steps above can help you keep yourself protected and collect the information you need to take legal action.
While it is easy to say think twice before sending anything online, getting caught up in the moment and doing things you shouldn’t have can happen to anyone.
To prevent having the same experience in the future, pay close attention to the new users that add you on Snapchat. If a Snapchat user appears out of nowhere and asks personal questions that lead to a path where they can gain leverage, such as anything sexual, this should be your warning sign.
Only send sensitive messages and snaps to friends that you truly trust. Similar to making a reverse phone number lookup, you can also search people on USPeopleSearch.com by name. Run a people search on people to ensure that you aren’t sending snaps to a catfish account and prevent being blackmailed on Snapchat.
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