1What is sextortion?
Sextortion is blackmail over intimate images, usually to get money. Someone claims to have photos or a video of you. Then they demand payment in exchange for not sending them to your friends and family. The message sometimes arrives late at night, with a very short deadline. Everything about it aims to make you panic and stop thinking clearly.
If this is happening to you, remember one thing first: you are the victim of a crime, not the one at fault. In Belgium, the law punishes blackmail as well as sharing intimate images without consent. Of course, trusting someone is nothing shameful. What matters now is acting calmly, one step at a time.
2Two very different kinds of blackmail
The first kind of sextortion involves real images. Someone won your trust within a few days, then obtained photos or recorded a video call. In that case the threat exists, yet you can still handle it with the right steps. Because their goal is money, every payment proves to them that the pressure works.
The second kind is an email scam. The message claims that hackers took over your webcam while you visited adult websites. To sound credible, it sometimes quotes an old password taken from a data breach. Yet it never shows an actual image of you, and the same text goes out in bulk.
However, if you have never shared intimate images, this sextortion email is only a bluff. Safeonweb, the service run by the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, makes this point clearly. Don't reply, don't pay, and simply change the password it mentions. You can also forward the suspicious message to Safeonweb.
3How the scam usually unfolds on dating apps
In online dating, sextortion often follows the same script. It starts with a very attractive match, polished photos and a flood of compliments. After a few messages, the person suggests moving to WhatsApp, Telegram or Instagram. The excuse varies: they rarely log in here, or their subscription runs out soon.
Then the chat speeds up and turns intimate. The person suggests a video call, appears undressed and invites you to do the same. In fact, what you see is often a pre-recorded video. Meanwhile, they record your screen without your knowledge.
A few minutes later, the threat lands. You receive a screenshot of the call, along with a list of your friends or colleagues taken from your social media. Finally, the person demands money, sometimes in cryptocurrency or gift cards.
These warning signs also look like those of a romance scam or a fake profile. The main difference is speed: everything can play out in a single evening.
4Sextortion: what to do right now
When facing sextortion, your first instinct may be to pay so it all stops. That is understandable, but paying almost never ends the blackmail. In fact, a first payment shows that you can pay, and new demands often follow.
So cut off contact, without negotiating or pleading. Before blocking, take time to collect evidence, because the police and the platform will need it. Also read the advice from Safeonweb and the federal police prevention page on sexual blackmail.
If the threat targets your friends and family, you can also warn them yourself, before the blackmailer does. A few words are enough: "If you receive a message or a video about me, don't open it and don't share it. Someone is trying to blackmail me and I am handling it with the police." So the threat loses much of its power. Finally, if images are already circulating, report each post to the social network hosting it.
- Don't pay anything, not even a small sum to buy time
- Stop all contact and stop replying to threats
- Delete nothing and keep evidence: screenshots, username, profile, requested payment details
- Report the profile on the platform, then block it
- File a complaint with your local police, evidence in hand
- Call Card Stop on 078 170 170 if you shared your bank details
5If the images involve a minor
If the victim is under 18, contact Child Focus on 116 000 straight away. This free service supports young people and parents facing sextortion.
If you are a parent, stay calm and thank your child for telling you. Young people who feel judged tend to shut down, just when they need help most. Above all, never forward the images yourself, not even as evidence. Sharing images of a minor remains illegal, whatever your intentions.
If you are under 18 and reading this, know that you did nothing wrong. Talk to an adult you trust, or call 116 000 directly.
6Don't carry the shame alone
Shame is the main weapon of blackmail. The person behind it counts on your silence to stay in control. Yet a sextortion victim has done nothing wrong: the one making threats is the one breaking the law.
And if you have already paid? Don't blame yourself: the pressure was real, and panic is a human reaction. Simply stop any further payments, keep the payment records and add them to your complaint. If you paid by card or bank transfer, also let your bank know.
Talk to someone you trust: a friend, a sibling, a cousin or a colleague. Simply saying it out loud often eases the panic, because shame feeds on silence. You don't need to show the images or share every detail. One sentence is enough, for example: "Someone is blackmailing me, I need your help tonight."
If you would rather talk to an outsider, Télé-Accueil listens on 107, anonymously and free of charge, in French. Tele-Onthaal also offers the same service in Dutch, on 106. These volunteers don't judge. Finally, if the anxiety feels too heavy, your GP can also point you towards further support.
7Preventing blackmail and taking back control
Staying safe against sextortion comes down to one simple rule: never send intimate images to someone you met recently. In practice, a serious relationship takes time to build, not one evening.
On Koeur24, you can make audio and video calls without leaving the app. So you have no reason to switch to another messenger or give out your number. If a profile keeps pushing to talk elsewhere, treat it as a warning. You can report and block a suspicious profile in one click, and our moderation team reviews every report.
- Keep conversations inside the app until you really know the person
- Be wary of a video call that quickly turns intimate
- Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) for your accounts
- Set your social media to private: blackmailers use it to find your friends and family
- Protect your privacy: hide your address, employer and friends list
- Favour verified profiles, without letting your guard down