What should you do if someone threatens to share private and intimate images of you?
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How Do We Fight Blackmail?
Questions from Blackmail Victims
When faced with blackmail, it is very important to act deliberately and without panic. Here are the steps you should take in case of blackmail:
⬛ Stay calm: Remain calm and cool without panicking in the face of a threat.
🟦 Assess the Threat: Check the seriousness and credibility of the threat. Try to find out if what the blackmailer says is true.
⬛ Don't Block the Blackmailer: If you block the blackmailer, he or she may reach you by other means. Keep in touch to keep the situation under control and buy time.
🟦 Preserve Evidence: Keep records of all communications (texts, emails, etc.) with the blackmailer. Keeping evidence can help you in future legal proceedings.
⬛ Improve Online Safety: Make your social media profiles private, change your passwords regularly and use two-factor authentication.
🟦 Do Not Pay: Never send money to blackmailers. Paying them can lead them to make more demands.
⬛ Cyber Detection: Get an expert cybersecurity review to track down and identify the blackmailer. This is critical to stopping the blackmailer and bringing them to justice.
In case of blackmail, you can protect yourself and foil the blackmailers' plans by taking careful and conscious steps. Seeking professional help is the safest and most effective way.
Blocking the blackmailer is often a decision made in a moment of panic, and this step does not necessarily mean that the blackmail has stopped. In fact, blocking the blackmailer may not be enough to stop the blackmail and may make the situation more complicated. Here's what to do after blocking the blackmailer:
🟦 Don't Panic: Blocking the blackmailer can be momentarily comforting, but it is important to stay calm to control the situation in the long run. Assess the situation calmly without panicking.
⬛ They can look for alternative ways: After being blocked, blackmailers may seek different ways of communication. They may try to find you again on different numbers or platforms. They may try to contact you by creating fake accounts on social media or other online platforms.
🟦 Threat of Reaching Out to Others: Once blocked, blackmailers may threaten to reach out to your family members, colleagues or friends. They may try to send them direct messages or target them to continue the blackmail.
⬛ Preserve Evidence: Once you have blocked the blackmailer, it is important to keep evidence of all communications and threats with him/her. This evidence can be used to identify and stop the blackmailer if necessary.
🟦 Increase Security Measures: Once you have blocked the blackmailer, it is important to take additional measures to increase your online security. Change your passwords, enable two-factor authentication and make your social media profiles private.
⬛ Know that blocking is not enough: Blocking may provide a momentary solution, but blackmailers may reach you again at a later stage. In this case, you may face problems such as transferring the images to other devices, copying them or making backups. It may cause you to completely lose your digital traces and take you down a path of no return.
Next Steps
Blocking the blackmailer may provide temporary relief, but it will not solve the problem completely. Instead of completely cutting off contact with the blackmailer, it is important to keep the situation under control and take deliberate steps. To minimize the effects of blackmail and ensure your long-term safety, be vigilant and do not hesitate to seek support when needed.
When faced with blackmail, you might naturally consider paying to end the threats. However, paying blackmailers is never a recommended solution. Here are reasons why you should not pay the blackmailer:
⬛ Demand may increase: When you pay the blackmailer, you become an easy target in their eyes. This can lead to the blackmailer demanding more money or valuable information.
🟦 Your Safety May Be Compromised: When you pay, the blackmailer can learn more about you and use this information to threaten you further in the future.
⬛ Threats May Not End: There is no guarantee that the blackmailer will end the threat. Even if you pay, the blackmailer may continue his threats or sell your information to other blackmailers.
🟦 Legal Issues: Paying blackmailers can be legally problematic. In such cases, a safer and more effective approach is to contact law enforcement and seek legal assistance.
⬛ Supporting Criminal Activities: Paying blackmailers means financing criminal activity. This can lead to more people becoming victims of blackmail.
🟦 Losing Control: When you pay, you lose control over the blackmailer. Blackmailers may try to gain more control by increasing the pressure on you.
⬛ Get Support and Help: When faced with blackmail, it is safest to seek professional help. Cybersecurity experts and legal advisors can help you identify the blackmailer and fight back with legal means.
Paying the blackmailer can make the problem worse instead of solving it. Therefore, the best approach is to keep your cool, seek professional help and take the right steps.
Turkish judicial authorities are only competent for crimes committed in Turkey. Complaints from Turkey against Bulgaria, Morocco, the Philippines, Nigeria and other international blackmail gangs need to be backed up by effective evidence. It is imperative to stop blackmail through technological and legal means.
⬛ Collect Evidence: Collect evidence such as threatening messages, screenshots, emails and present it to the authorities to help launch an investigation.
🟦 Report your complaint to the Authorities: Report the blackmail to the relevant country authorities. You can report to local police or cybercrime units. Complaints backed by compelling evidence help the authorities to take action.
⬛ Cooperation and Coordination: Turkish judicial authorities can communicate with the authorities of the country concerned through international cooperation mechanisms. The use of legal cooperation protocols and information sharing is important.
🟦 Get Support from International Organizations: Seek support from international police organizations such as Interpol or legal aid organizations. These organizations can help with communication and cooperation between countries.
⬛ Get Professional Support: Seek professional support from a specialized cybersecurity firm or legal advisory company. These experts will help you take the right steps and protect your legal rights.
Blackmail gangs operating in Turkey target and blackmail their victims using various platforms and strategies. These gangs use different methods to demand money or private content from their victims. Here are the characteristics of Turkish blackmail gangs and the methods they use:
Characteristics of Turkish Blackmail Gangs
🟦 Language and Communication: They quickly establish a relationship of trust with victims by speaking Turkish. However, they can also use foreign numbers.
⬛ Target Audience: They usually target users in Turkey and threaten them using local cultural sensitivities.
🟦 Threats and Methods:
- They threaten to expose the victim's private content.
- They form a family group and gradually share content.
- They collect private content from victims, such as photos or videos, and demand more content or money.
- They record their victims through video calls on platforms such as Skype and Azar.
- They threaten to take over or expose victims' social media accounts.
- Using panel systems, they threaten the victim by accessing personal information through the victim's phone number.
- The blackmail usually lasts up to two weeks and the victim is kept under constant threat.
- They put more pressure on the victim by personalizing the events.
⬛ Fake Lawyer Blackmail: They threaten the victims, saying they will send notices under the name of a lawyer.
🟦 Payment Methods: They demand payment into Turkish bank accounts. In some cases, they may also ask for cryptocurrency payments.
⬛ General Objective: The victim is psychologically coerced and threatened to obtain money or more private content.
Platforms Used
WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, Telegram, Hornet, Tinder, Bumble, Skype, SnapChat, Azar, Litmatch, C2 Connected To Me, Language Learning Apps
Summary
Turkish blackmail gangs use a variety of platforms to target their victims, often putting pressure on the victim's family or acquaintances to carry out their threats. They use the Turkish language to establish trust and exploit local cultural sensitivities to obtain the victim's private information. It can be difficult to identify the source of the blackmail because they may use foreign numbers and various payment methods. Therefore, it is important to be vigilant and seek professional help when faced with blackmail.
If you are being blackmailed on Telegram, you can follow these steps to protect yourself and manage the situation:
⬛ Stay calm: First, assess the situation calmly without panicking. The blackmailers' aim is to intimidate and control you, so it is important to stay calm.
🟦 Collect Evidence: Keep records of all communications with the blackmailer (messages, screenshots, emails, etc.). This evidence can be important when you contact law enforcement or legal counsel if necessary.
⬛ Don't Block the Blackmailer: Instead of immediately blocking the blackmailer, maintain communication to keep the situation under control. This gives you time to take further steps.
🟦 Improve Your Online Safety: Make your profiles on social media and messaging apps private. Change your passwords regularly, use strong and unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication. Check the visibility of your phone number when you are registered in Telegram and hide it if necessary.
⬛ Don't pay: Never send money to blackmailers. Paying them can lead them to make more demands.
🟦 Get Cyber Security and Detection Support: Get help from specialized cybersecurity services to detect and delete blackmail material from your devices. These services can also be useful for tracing and identifying blackmailers.
⬛ Get Psychological Support: Blackmail can be a serious source of emotional stress. Seeking support from a therapist or counselor can help you feel stronger during this process.
Active Blackmail Gangs and Methods
LGBTI+ Blackmail Gangs: They join social media groups where LGBTI+ individuals are present and present themselves as LGBTI+ members. By building trust with the victim, they collect private information and threaten to disclose it.
Video Show Blackmail Gangs: With the promise of a live show, they record victims during a photo or video call. They then use these recordings for blackmail purposes.
Blackmail on the Hornet: Blackmailers contact you via Hornet and take your WhatsApp number and threaten to expose you. They use both foreign and Turkish numbers to blackmail you.
Blackmail on Instagram: After meeting on Instagram, foreign blackmail gangs continue on Telegram, copying the victim's list of followers and threatening to send blackmail content.
Bank Accounts and Security: The bank accounts used by these gangs are rented field accounts. To avoid getting caught, they hide their IP addresses and use solutions like VPNs. They are very difficult to find as none of the data belongs to them.
⬛ Get Support and Help: Dealing with this kind of blackmail can be difficult, but you are not alone. Contact us to get professional help and protect your rights. Remember, taking the necessary steps to protect yourself and defend your rights is the right way to go.
⬛ First Contact: To get closer to their victims, blackmailers usually join Telegram groups or channels and present themselves as someone with similar interests to the victim. At this stage, they establish an intimate relationship with the victim and gain trust.
🟦 Information and Content Collection: During conversations with the victim, blackmailers collect personal information, photos and videos. This information is used to threaten and pressure the victim in the future. Some gangs use systems called "panels" to access more personal information using the victim's phone number.
⬛ Blackmail Initiation: They use the collected content to reach the victim and threaten to expose them. They usually make their demands via WhatsApp, Telegram or other messaging apps.
🟦 Threats and Demands: They demand money or more private content from the victim. If their demands are not met, they threaten to send this content to the victim's family or social circle.
⬛ Fake IDs: Gangs use fake identities and profile pictures to trick victims and gain trust.
🟦 Social Engineering: They obtain personal information by exploiting the victim's emotional vulnerabilities and trust.
⬛ Malware: In some cases, blackmailers use malware to gain access to the victim's device and steal private information.
🟦 Live Chat and Video Call: Blackmailers persuade victims to engage in a live chat or video call and use the footage obtained during the call for blackmail purposes.
Blackmail against LGBTI+ people is a crime where blackmailers target victims through social media and messaging apps. Here is detailed information about how this blackmail works and what you should do:
⬛ First Contact: Blackmailers join social media groups where LGBTI+ individuals are present and introduce themselves as LGBTI+ members. They start an intimate relationship with the victim and after gaining trust, they collect personal information, photos or videos.
🟦 Information and Content Collection: They collect and store private content such as conversations with the victim, photos and videos sent. From your phone number, they can access your family, work, health, education and salary information using panel systems.
⬛ Blackmail Initiation: They use the collected content to reach the victim and threaten to expose them. They usually make their demands via WhatsApp, Telegram or other messaging apps.
🟦 Threats and Demands: They demand money or more private content from the victim. If their demands are not met, they threaten to send this content to the victim's family or social circle.
⬛ Activity on Telegram and Hornet: When you are recorded on Telegram, they can see and save your phone number. They contact you via Hornet and take your WhatsApp number and threaten to expose you. They blackmail using both foreign and Turkish numbers.
🟦 Bank Accounts and Security: The bank accounts used by these gangs are rented field accounts. To avoid getting caught, they hide their IP addresses and use solutions like VPNs. They are very difficult to find as none of the data belongs to them.
What Should You Do in the Face of Blackmail?
⬛ Stay calm: Assess the situation calmly without panicking.
🟦 Collect Evidence: Keep all communications with the blackmailer (messages, screenshots, emails, etc.).
⬛ Don't Block the Blackmailer: Maintain communication to keep the situation under control.
🟦 Improve Your Online Safety: Make your social media profiles private, change your passwords regularly, use two-factor authentication.
⬛ Don't pay: Never send money to blackmailers.
🟦 Get Cyber Security and Detection Support: Get help from expert cybersecurity services to detect and delete blackmail material from your devices.
⬛ Get Psychological Support: Seek support from a therapist or counselor.
Get Support and Help
Dealing with this kind of blackmail can be difficult, but you are not alone. Contact us for professional help with blackmail against LGBTI+ people and to protect your rights.
Remember, it is best to take the necessary steps to protect yourself and defend your rights. In cases such as blackmail, it is very important to seek professional help and consult with people you trust.
A fake lawyer scam is a type of blackmail in which fraudsters threaten victims using fake lawyer identities. This type of blackmail usually targets married people and demands money from victims through various threats. Here's what to do if you are being blackmailed by a fake lawyer:
🟦 What is Fake Lawyer Blackmail? Fake lawyer blackmail is a form of blackmail in which fraudsters threaten their victims using fake lawyer identities or documents. The blackmailers claim that the victim is facing legal problems and demand money or private information.
⬛ Target Audience and Threats: Scammers usually target married people and threaten to tell their families, especially their spouses. If the victim has sent explicit photos, they may threaten to disseminate them. They may also say that they will send notices to the victim's family or call family members and demand money. This can lead to serious consequences, such as divorce.
🟦 Don't Panic: It is important not to panic when faced with fake lawyer blackmail. Fraudsters want to scare their victims and force them to make quick decisions. It is important to stay calm and assess the situation calmly.
⬛ Check Identity and Documents: Check if the lawyer IDs or documents sent to you are fake. Real lawyers work with bar association registration and official documents. You can verify whether the lawyer is real by contacting the bar association.
🟦 Preserve Evidence: Keep evidence of all communications and threats with the blackmailer. This evidence can be used to identify and stop the blackmailer if necessary. Take screenshots of messages, emails and documents.
⬛ Don't pay: Do not give in to blackmailers' demands and do not make payments. Paying can lead to blackmailers making even more demands. Also, making payments will not solve the problem, but may make it worse.
🟦 Increase Security Measures: Take additional measures to improve your online security. Change your passwords, enable two-factor authentication and be careful when sharing personal information.
⬛ Get Support: Seek professional support to deal with fake lawyer blackmail. Cybersecurity experts and psychological counselors can help you through this process and support you in taking the necessary steps.
🟦 Security of Your Credentials: If your credentials have fallen into the hands of blackmailers, take the necessary security measures to prevent future misuse of this information. Remember that such information may be stored in panel systems and seek expert help to secure this data.
⬛ Make him disappear: After blocking the blackmailer, take steps to cover your own tracks. Secure your online accounts and create new contact information as needed.
When faced with fake lawyer blackmail, it is important to act carefully and deliberately. You can overcome this type of blackmail by not panicking, taking the necessary precautions and seeking professional support. Remember, you are not alone and there are many resources available to help you deal with these situations.
What is Cyber Detection?
Cyber Detectionis a private company offering support to victims of non-consensual intimate image abuse. Our goal is to ensure that intimate images shared without the consent of victims are quickly and effectively removed from the online environment.
Our Services
- Image Blending: We digitally fingerprint images by creating unique hash values.
- Image Removal: We will work to remove images from the internet that have been shared without your consent.
We protect your privacy
This tool works by creating digital fingerprints (hashes) of your selected images directly on your device. This fingerprint is the only file shared with Cyber Detection and participating companies. Cyber Detection does not download images from your device and we collect minimal data to run the service to help protect your privacy.
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Case Reviews
I faced an international blackmail over Telegram, which posed a great risk to my profession. Because I was married, the blackmailer threatened to send these images to my Instagram followers. Indeed, he did send them to a few of my followers, and every hour on the hour he would send them to others. During this process, I started receiving calls all the time. Fortunately, with your support, I was able to get out of this horrible situation. The images have been completely removed and I can now live my life normally.
Burak C******
I was the victim of blackmail that lasted for two months and left me in deep despair. Initially, the blackmailer asked me for a small amount of money. But over time, he increased his threats, saying he would harm my family, up to a total of 45,000 TL. This person, whom I met through the C2 app, stole not only my money but also my peace of mind. I took legal action but there was no progress in the process. It was only after meeting you and with the help of your team that we were able to stop the blackmailer. I cannot thank you enough for your superhuman effort and constant support throughout this process.
The blackmail I was subjected to on Instagram was a horrible experience for me. The blackmailer was Turkish and had all my credentials, including my family. He was sending messages to my family members on WhatsApp and posting on Instagram. Moreover, he created a fake account in my name, shared my video and sent requests to my followers. This was not only a personal threat to me, but also a threat to the privacy of my entire family.
Ali H******
I was a victim of video blackmail. A person I met on Instagram took my video. He threatened that he would send these videos to my followers if I didn't block him and send money, saying that he had taken photos of my follower list. I got rid of the video blackmailer thanks to Atroks. I was worried about trusting them because I was blackmailed, but it was nothing like I was worried about. I am now completely free from blackmail, thank you.
Cyber Detection Security Criteria
✅ Are you the person in the picture?
✅ Were you 18 years old or older at the time of the photo?
Are you currently over 18 years of age?
✅ Are you naked, half-naked or doing a sexual act in the picture/video?
Does this damage or risk damaging your reputation?
✅ Do you therefore want to get support from a specialized cybersecurity company?
If you answered "Yes" to all of the questions above, please consider one of the options below. If you do not answer all of the questions, you can still get help. Cyber Detection cares about the digital security of every individual and organization and offers comprehensive solutions.
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