Sexting safety: how to protect yourself and what to do if it goes wrong

Sexting between consenting adults is not dangerous in itself. What can go wrong is what happens to a message or an image after it leaves your phone: it gets shared without your consent, it becomes leverage for a threat, or a screenshot travels further than you ever imagined. The good news is that most of these risks shrink dramatically with a few habits, and that adults in the United States have real options when something does go wrong.

This guide starts with what to do if you are being threatened right now, then explains how sextortion scams usually unfold, how to report one to the FBI, how to get intimate images taken down, what the law says, and the habits that keep you out of trouble in the first place.

Nothing on this page is legal advice. If you need advice about your specific situation, talk to a lawyer or one of the organizations listed here.

What should you do right now if someone is threatening you?

Take a breath. Having an intimate life is not a mistake. The wrongdoing is entirely on the side of the person threatening you. Here is what to do, in order:

1. Don't pay. Not now, not later, not a "small amount to make it stop." A first payment proves the threat works and almost always leads to more demands. The same goes for sending more images.
2. Stop responding, or respond once, neutrally, if you need to buy time. Don't insult, negotiate or plead.
3. Save the evidence. Screenshot the messages, the profile, the username, any links, and the payment details they asked for (gift card instructions, crypto wallet address, payment handle). Write down dates and times. Don't delete the conversation until everything is saved.
4. Block and report the account on the platform where it happened. Platforms remove these accounts and may preserve data that helps an investigation.
5. Lock down your accounts. Set your social media to private, hide your friends or followers list, and change passwords if the person claims to have hacked something. Turn on two-factor authentication.
6. Report it. Adults in the United States can file a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. You can also go to your local police department with your evidence. You don't need to wait for anything to be posted: the threat itself is reportable.
7. Get support. The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative runs a crisis helpline for people in the United States dealing with non-consensual intimate imagery and sextortion, at 844-878-2274 (844-878-CCRI). They can talk you through your options and point you to further help.
8. Tell someone you trust. Blackmail loses much of its power the moment you are no longer alone with the secret.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you are overwhelmed or having thoughts of harming yourself, you can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time, day or night.

How do sextortion scams work?

Sextortion is blackmail built on intimate content. It comes in two main shapes.

The organized scam. Networks of scammers create attractive fake profiles on dating apps, Instagram, Snapchat or gaming platforms. The script is remarkably consistent:

1. a warm, flattering first contact that turns flirty very quickly;
2. a push to move the conversation to another app, often one with video;
3. a video call where the "person" on the other side (often a prerecorded clip) encourages you to undress, while your screen is being recorded, or a fast exchange of photos;
4. minutes later, a threat: the video or photos will go to your followers, your family or your employer unless you pay, usually in gift cards, crypto or a payment app.

Scammers often screenshot your follower list or your LinkedIn page to make the threat feel real.

The personal version. An ex or someone you know uses content from the relationship to get something: to get you back, to get more images, to keep you quiet.

In both cases, the person threatening you is counting on shame and panic to make you act fast and alone. That is exactly what not to do.

There is also a version with no real content at all: a mass email claiming that your webcam was hacked and that you were recorded, sometimes quoting an old password from a data breach to look credible. It is almost always a bluff. Don't pay, change that password everywhere you used it, and report the email.

How do you report sextortion to the FBI?

Adults in the United States can report online extortion through the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov, which describes itself as the central hub for reporting cyber-enabled crime. Its own guidance is to file a report even if you are unsure whether your situation qualifies. A few tips to make your report useful:

• Gather everything before you start. Screenshots of the conversation, the scammer's usernames and profile links on every platform they used, and the dates and times of each message.
• Include the payment details they asked for. Gift card numbers and receipts, crypto wallet addresses, payment app handles, transaction IDs if you already paid. Even if you did pay, report it: it is not too late, and you are not in trouble for it.
• Describe what happened in order. Where you met, when the conversation moved to another app, what was demanded and what was threatened.
• Keep a copy of your report and any reference you receive.

You can also go to your local police department with the same evidence, and you can do both. A report does not require that anything has already been posted: the threat itself is enough. If the images were taken when you were under 18, report to the NCMEC CyberTipline instead, as IC3 itself directs crimes against children there.

How do you get intimate images removed from the internet?

It is a gut punch, but there are tools that work, especially if you act quickly.

Get the content taken down.

• Report every post to the platform where it appears. Major platforms have a specific reporting category for intimate images shared without consent, and covered platforms now have a federal obligation to act on valid removal requests.
• Use StopNCII.org, a free tool for adults (18 or over when the image was taken). It creates a digital fingerprint, called a hash, of your images directly on your device. The images themselves never leave your phone or computer; only the hash is shared with partner platforms so they can detect and block copies.
• Ask search engines to remove results. Google has a dedicated form to remove personal sexual content from Google Search, including fake images. It removes results from search, not from the hosting site, so combine it with reports to the site itself.
• Report to the FBI at ic3.gov if the sharing came with threats or demands.

If the images were taken when you were under 18, the process is different, and it applies even if you are an adult today. Take It Down, run by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), helps remove intimate images or videos taken before 18 from participating platforms, using the same hash approach. To report the exploitation of a minor, use the NCMEC CyberTipline or call 1-800-843-5678.

Know your options. Depending on your state, you may have both criminal and civil options against the person who shared your images. The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative can help you understand them, and a lawyer can advise you on your specific case.

Take care of yourself. What is happening to you is a form of abuse. Talking to a friend, a counselor or a helpline is not a luxury.

Which US resources should you keep handy?

Situation	Where to go
Immediate danger	911
Threats, extortion, demands for money or images	ic3.gov (FBI) and your local police
Support and next steps after image abuse or sextortion	Cyber Civil Rights Initiative helpline, 844-878-2274
Stopping intimate images from spreading (taken at 18 or over)	StopNCII.org
Removing results from Google Search	Google removal form
Images taken when you were under 18	Take It Down (NCMEC)
Reporting the exploitation of a minor	NCMEC CyberTipline, 1-800-843-5678
Emotional crisis	Call or text 988 (988 Lifeline)

Is it illegal to share someone's intimate images in the US?

The short version, without state-by-state detail:

• Consenting adults are free to sext. Sending suggestive messages or images to another adult who wants them is not a crime.
• Sharing someone's intimate images without consent is illegal in most states. Most states have laws against non-consensual intimate imagery, but the wording, the penalties and the civil remedies differ from one state to the next.
• There is also a federal law. The TAKE IT DOWN Act, passed in 2025, targets the knowing publication of intimate images without consent, including AI-generated fakes, and requires covered online platforms to remove reported images within 48 hours of a valid request.
• Threatening to release images is extortion. Demanding money, more images or anything else in exchange for not sharing content is a crime, whatever the platform.
• Any sexual image of someone under 18 is illegal under federal law, regardless of consent and regardless of who took the picture, and sexual contact with minors is a crime in every state.

The key point in every one of these rules: the crime belongs to the person who shares or threatens, never to the person who trusted them. Having sent a photo willingly does not mean you agreed to have it shown to anyone else.

Because state laws vary, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative is a good starting point to understand the rules where you live, and a lawyer can tell you what applies to your case.