Online sextortion and intimate-image blackmail in India — what to do first: do not pay, save evidence, report on 1930 / cybercrime.gov.in, FIR for extortion (BNS 308, old IPC 384) and IT Act offences (ss.66E, 67, 67A), 24-hour takedown under the IT Rules 2021, and help if a child is involved (2026)
Calm, safety-first steps for anyone being threatened that private photos or videos — real, recorded on a video call, or morphed — will be shared unless they pay or send more: why paying usually makes it worse; how to save evidence safely; reporting on the national helpline 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in (including the anonymous option for crimes against women and children); which laws apply for an FIR; getting content removed by platforms within 24 hours under the IT Rules; extra steps when the person is under 18; and looking after yourself. Educational only — not legal advice; Adhiwakta does not file complaints or handle any images.
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First — this is not your fault, and you are not alone
Blackmailers depend on panic and shame. Trusting someone, or being tricked on a video call, does not make you the wrongdoer — the person threatening you is committing a crime. Take a breath: the steps below usually work better than paying. If you are in danger call 112. If you feel overwhelmed or have thoughts of harming yourself, call the government’s Tele-MANAS mental health helpline 14416 or talk to someone you trust right now.
Common patterns
(1) A stranger makes a video call, records it, edits in obscene clips and demands money. (2) A fake profile builds friendship or romance, asks for private photos, then threatens. (3) A former partner threatens to share private photos or videos. (4) Morphed or AI-generated images are made from ordinary photos. (5) Callers pretend to be police, a cyber cell or a platform official and say a ‘case’ will be filed over a video unless money is paid. Real police do not settle cases over the phone or ask for payment to ‘delete’ a video.
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Write in Hindi or English · general guidance, not legal advice
Do not pay, and do not send anything more
Paying usually leads to more demands, not deletion. Do not send more photos, videos or money, and stop replying. But do not delete the chats or the account before you save the evidence. After saving it you can block the person, make your social media accounts private, hide friend and follower lists, and warn close friends or family that someone may send them messages.
Save evidence safely
Take screenshots showing date and time of the chats and threats; note the profile link, username or ID, phone numbers and email addresses; save any UPI ID, bank account or QR code they sent, and receipts of any payment already made; and copy the links where anything has been posted. Write a short timeline of what happened. Do not forward the intimate images themselves to anyone, even to complain — describe them and give the link instead. Keep the phone or device you used.
Report — 1930 and cybercrime.gov.in
Report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal, cybercrime.gov.in. For crimes against women and children it has a ‘Report Women/Child Related Crime’ section, which also allows anonymous reporting — but an anonymous report cannot be tracked by you, so register with your details if you want to follow up. If money was paid, call the 1930 helpline at once — fast reporting gives the best chance of stopping the money trail. You can also go to your local police station or the district cyber cell.
FIR — which laws apply
Depending on the facts: extortion under Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (old IPC 383–389; punishment up to seven years under Section 308(2), and putting a person in fear to commit extortion is itself an offence under Section 308(3)); criminal intimidation, which includes threats to a person’s reputation (Section 351 BNS, old IPC 503 / 506); voyeurism, which covers capturing or sharing images of a woman’s private act without consent — even if she agreed to the image being taken but not to it being shared (Section 77 BNS, old 354C); stalking (Section 78 BNS, old 354D); and under the Information Technology Act, 2000, violation of privacy by capturing or publishing private images without consent (Section 66E — up to three years or fine up to ₹2 lakh), publishing or transmitting obscene or sexually explicit material (Sections 67 and 67A), and identity theft or cheating by impersonation (Sections 66C and 66D). The police must register an FIR for a cognizable offence (Section 173 BNSS, old CrPC 154); if a woman reports offences such as voyeurism, stalking or sexual harassment, a woman police officer is to record it. If the police refuse, write to the Superintendent of Police (Section 173(4)) or apply to the Magistrate (Section 175(3)).
Get the content taken down
Report the post or account on the platform with the link. Under Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, when the person concerned (or someone on their behalf) complains, a platform must within 24 hours take reasonable steps to remove or disable content that prima facie exposes a person’s private area, shows full or partial nudity or a sexual act, or impersonates them — including artificially morphed images. Use the platform’s grievance officer details; if you are not satisfied with the decision, an appeal can be filed with the Grievance Appellate Committee at gac.gov.in within 30 days. StopNCII.org lets adults create a digital fingerprint (hash) of an image on their own device so participating platforms can block it — the image itself is not uploaded. For images of someone under 18, NCMEC’s Take It Down service works in a similar way.
If the person is under 18
Sexual images of a child are treated very seriously: offences under Sections 13–15 of the POCSO Act, 2012 and Section 67B of the IT Act apply, and anyone who knows of such an offence must report it to the police or Special Juvenile Police Unit (Section 19 POCSO). Parents: stay calm and do not blame the child — reassure them that telling you was right. Do not save, copy or forward the images; give the link to the police or the cybercrime portal. Childline 1098 and 112 can help. See the POCSO guide for parents.
If you have already paid
Stop further payments, call 1930 immediately and inform your bank in writing with the transaction details. Keep the receipts — they are evidence. Blackmailers who promise to ‘delete everything’ after one payment usually come back for more.
Looking after yourself
Tell at least one trusted person. Tele-MANAS (14416) offers free, confidential mental health support; the women helpline 181 works in most States. If the person threatening you is a colleague, the workplace Internal Committee under the PoSH Act can also be approached; if they are a fellow student, the college’s grievance or anti-ragging mechanism may help.
What this guide is not
It does not promise that content will be removed everywhere, that the person will be traced or punished, or that money will be recovered. Portals and platform processes change — follow the current instructions on cybercrime.gov.in and each platform.
How Adhiwakta can help
We do not file complaints or FIRs, contact the blackmailer, platforms or police, or handle images — please never send intimate images or videos to Adhiwakta. Adhiwakta is a facilitation platform, not a law firm. We do not file cases, appear before any authority, or promise any result. Use Ask Adhiwakta to describe your situation for general guidance from an independent advocate, or start with the AI helper to organise your facts and papers. Educational only — not formal legal advice.
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Frequently asked questions
- Someone is threatening to leak my video unless I pay — what should I do?
- Do not pay or send anything more. Save screenshots of the threats, profile links, phone numbers and payment details, then report on cybercrime.gov.in or call 1930, and approach the police for an FIR. Paying usually leads to more demands.
- Which section applies to sextortion in India?
- Depending on facts: extortion (BNS 308, old IPC 384), criminal intimidation (BNS 351, old IPC 506), voyeurism (BNS 77, old 354C), stalking (BNS 78), and IT Act Sections 66E, 67, 67A, 66C and 66D.
- Can I report sextortion anonymously?
- Yes. The ‘Report Women/Child Related Crime’ section of cybercrime.gov.in has an anonymous option, but you cannot track an anonymous report. Register with your details if you want to follow up.
- How do I get my private photos removed from social media?
- Report the link to the platform. Under Rule 3(2)(b) of the IT Rules, 2021, it must act within 24 hours on your complaint about content showing nudity, sexual acts or morphed images of you. If unsatisfied, appeal to the Grievance Appellate Committee (gac.gov.in) within 30 days. StopNCII.org can help block re-uploads.
- The caller says he is from the police and a case is filed over my video — is it real?
- Police do not settle cases over the phone or ask for money to delete videos. Do not pay; note the number and report on 1930 or cybercrime.gov.in.
- What if the victim is a child?
- POCSO Act Sections 13–15 and IT Act 67B apply, and the offence must be reported to the police (Section 19 POCSO). Do not save or forward the images; give the link to police or the portal, and support the child without blame.
- Does Adhiwakta file cyber complaints?
- No. Adhiwakta does not file complaints, contact anyone or handle images — never send intimate images to Adhiwakta. Use Ask Adhiwakta or the AI helper for general educational guidance only.
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