My child is being blackmailed over a photo (sextortion). What do I do right now?

If your child talks about hurting themselves or you think they're in danger, call 911. For emotional support any time, call or text 988 (the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is free, confidential and open 24/7, and you can call about someone else).

What to do right now, in order

1. Stay calm and reassure your child. Say it plainly: you're not in trouble, and I'm going to help. NCMEC puts it this way: the blackmailer is to blame, and what they are doing is a crime (NCMEC).
2. Don't pay, and stop replying. NCMEC says “cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail” (NCMEC). The FBI says paying doesn't stop images being released, and offenders often release them even after payment (FBI Kansas City). Don't send more images or money.
3. Don't delete anything. Save the evidence. Write down the account's username and profile link, and take screenshots of the messages and threats. Don't screenshot, save, forward or share the image itself, not even to report it. Tell the CyberTipline or police where it is and let them handle it. NCMEC says to block the account but not delete your child's profile or messages, because they can help stop the blackmailer (NCMEC).
4. Report to NCMEC's CyberTipline: report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST), open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (CyberTipline).
5. Report to the FBI: tips.fbi.gov, 1-800-CALL-FBI, or your local FBI field office (FBI Kansas City).
6. Use Take It Down to help get images removed. Take It Down is a free NCMEC service for images or videos taken when someone was under 18. It makes a digital fingerprint (a “hash”) of the file on your device; the image itself isn't uploaded. Participating platforms use that hash to find and remove copies (Take It Down).
7. Report and block the account on the platform where it happened, using the app's own report feature (NCMEC). Keep your screenshots first.
8. Get support for your child. NCMEC says these situations are complex and kids need help from adults or professionals (NCMEC). Stay close for the next few days. If there's any risk of self-harm, call 911, or call or text 988 (988 Lifeline).

A few things to know about Take It Down. It only works on public or unencrypted platforms that have chosen to take part, and platforms may not be able to remove content posted in the past. Only submit files already on your device — NCMEC says not to send, share or download an image in order to submit it (Take It Down). Never pay a “removal service”: NCMEC's tool is free.

Why this happens

Most of these cases are financial sextortion: someone tricks a young person into sharing an image, then demands money. The FBI says offenders typically pose as young girls to befriend teen boys, often on social media and gaming platforms (FBI). NCMEC says teenage boys have been the most common targets of recent cases (NCMEC). The FBI warns it can happen on any site, app, messaging platform or game where people meet and talk (FBI Kansas City).

• NCMEC received more than 50,000 financial sextortion reports in 2025 — about 137 a day — up from more than 36,000 in 2024 (NCMEC, 2026).
• From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received more than 13,000 reports of financial sextortion of minors, involving at least 12,600 victims, mostly boys (FBI).
• In a 2024 Thorn survey of 1,200 US young people aged 13–20, 1 in 4 said they were sextorted while under 18, and 1 in 6 victims were first targeted at 12 or younger (Thorn).
• In the same survey, threats most often came on Snapchat (37%), Instagram (24%), Facebook Messenger (21%) and Discord (18%); 13% came through gaming apps (Thorn).
• Thorn found 1 in 7 victims self-harmed afterwards (Thorn). That's why the first thing your child needs to hear is that they're safe with you.

You are not the only family this has happened to, and your child is not the first kid to be tricked. These are organized schemes, built to work on kids.

How to talk to your child

• Lead with relief, not questions. “I'm glad you told me. You're not in trouble. We'll sort this out together.”
• Keep your face and voice calm, even if you're not. Your child is watching how you react.
• Put the blame where it belongs. Even if they made a choice they regret, the person blackmailing them is committing a crime (NCMEC).
• Don't take their phone away as a punishment. You'll need the messages for reports, and kids who fear losing their phone are less likely to tell you next time.
• Check in again later that night and the next few days. Ask how they're feeling, not just what happened.

How to help prevent it

• Talk about it before it happens. Tell your kids sextortion exists, how it usually starts, and that they can always come to you — no matter what they've sent.
• Watch for a request to switch apps. The FBI says to be suspicious if someone met on one game or app asks to move to a different platform (FBI Kansas City).
• Know that strangers aren't always who they say. Thorn found 61% of victims knew the person only online (Thorn).
• Turn on chat and contact limits in the games and apps your kids use, so strangers can't message them directly. See our guides to stranger chat in games and Discord.
• Agree on a family rule: if anyone ever threatens you online, tell an adult before doing anything they ask.

If your child has no adult they feel able to tell, NCMEC offers support at 1-800-THE-LOST (NCMEC).