Someone Is Threatening to Leak My Photos: What to Do

If someone is threatening to post your photos, take a breath. You are not in trouble, and you are not alone. What you are dealing with has a name, sextortion, and it is a crime. The person doing this is counting on your fear and your silence. You can take that power back, and there are clear steps that work.

This is a fast guide for a scary moment. Read the first two sections now, then come back for the rest. None of this is your fault, no matter what you shared, who you shared it with, or how long ago.

First, the two rules that protect you most

Do not pay. Paying almost never ends it. When someone gets money, they usually come back for more, because now they know you will pay. Whether they are asking for cash, gift cards, crypto, or more photos, the answer is the same. Stop the transaction.

Do not keep negotiating. You do not owe this person a conversation. Every reply gives them more to work with and keeps you hooked into their timeline. Stop responding to threats and pleading. You can go silent without deleting anything.

Silence is not the same as deleting. Before you block anyone, save your evidence. That is the next step.

Preserve the evidence before you block

Law enforcement and the platforms will need proof of who did this and what they threatened. Save the record now, while you still have access to it.

• Screenshot the full conversation, including the person's username, profile, and any threats or demands.
• Save the links to their profile and to any post, not the images themselves. To get something removed, a link is all that is needed. You never have to download or store the images to act.
• Write down usernames, phone numbers, email addresses, payment handles, and the dates and times.
• Do not delete your account or the messages until you have copies. You can still stop replying.

Once you have saved everything, you can block the person. Blocking after you have your evidence is a good move, not a risky one.

Report it to law enforcement

Sextortion is a crime, and reporting it is the right call even if you feel embarrassed. Investigators handle these cases constantly and they are not there to judge you.

• In the United States, report to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).
• You can also contact your local police and ask to file a report. Bring the evidence you saved.
• If the person being threatened is under 18, this is child sexual abuse material. Do not use a normal takedown form. Report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at the CyberTipline and to law enforcement right away.

Reporting creates an official record. That record helps even if the person is overseas or hard to identify, and it can protect the next person they target.

Get ahead of it with StopNCII.org

You do not have to wait for the images to be posted. If you are an adult, StopNCII.org lets you act before anything goes public. Here is how it works, and why it is safe.

You select the images on your own device. StopNCII turns each one into a digital fingerprint, called a hash, right there on your phone or computer. Only the hash is uploaded, never the photo. Participating platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and others, use that fingerprint to detect and block matching images if anyone tries to upload them. Your original never leaves your hands.

This is one of the strongest moves you can make when someone is threatening to post your photos but has not yet. It puts a tripwire in place across major platforms.

If anything has already been posted

If images are already up, you still have real options, and a federal law is on your side. The TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed into US law in May 2025, requires covered platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated or deepfake versions, within 48 hours of a valid request from the person depicted or their authorized representative.

This is not a copyright matter, and you should not file it as one. Intimate images shared without your consent go to the platform's privacy or non-consensual intimate imagery reporting form, backed by the TAKE IT DOWN Act and StopNCII. Filing it the right way, on the right form, gets it removed faster. If content is already live, our guide on what to do when someone posts a video of you and our walkthrough for how to get revenge porn removed can take you through the exact steps.

Your quick action plan

1. Stop paying and stop replying. Go silent.
2. Screenshot the threats and save every link and username. Keep links, not images.
3. Report to the FBI at ic3.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI. If a minor is involved, report to NCMEC's CyberTipline instead.
4. Pre-hash your images at StopNCII.org so major platforms can block them.
5. If anything is already posted, file a privacy or NCII takedown on each platform, backed by the TAKE IT DOWN Act.
6. Tell one person you trust. You should not carry this alone.

You can take the next step calmly

This is a frightening situation, but it is a solvable one. People get through it every day, and the steps above are the same ones investigators and advocates recommend. When you are ready to send takedown requests, LinksGone is a free tool that walks you through filing the right notice, on the right form, in your own name. Every link, every platform, no card needed. There is no rush and no pressure. Save your evidence, report the crime, and come back to the removal steps whenever you feel steady enough to take them.