# Someone threatening to spread fake images/video of me performing a sex act, what to do? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2017, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292 "2017-09-14T04:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/21 "2017-09-14T13:54:22Z")
“Publish and be damned.” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/22 "2017-09-14T14:13:11Z")
Worry not. When you release a \*real \*video of yourself masturbating, the blackmailer’s will be exposed as an obvious fake. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/23 "2017-09-14T14:24:27Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Put it this way: If people could put together convincing video of people’s heads on other people’s naked bodies, we’d be waist deep in fake Taylor Swift porn videos and stuff. It wouldn’t be the unique skill of one woman rolling dudes on a dating website. It doesn’t have to be a _good_ or _convincing_ fake video. It just has to be good enough to scare a few gullible people into paying up. **Velocity** - online blackmail is a real scam. It’s complicated because the perpetrator might not be in your jurisdiction, because the laws governing online extortion aren’t always uptodate, and also because LEOs don’t always understand the reach or implications of online abuse. I would suggest you begin by reading through the resourses at Crash Override about how to approach the police about this matter. CO is aimed more towards internet harrasment rather than blatent extortion, but they have a lot of experience in explaining social media to non-tech savy indiviuals. Then I would suggest making back ups of absolutely everything you have, including screenshots, printouts and digital back ups, offline and online. Next, I would suggest contacting a lawyer, and asking them to help you approach your local police department … well, whoever handles the extortion cases. This may end up being an FBI case depending on where your blackmailer is located. But I’d start local. You’ll probably experience a lot of resistance, since online investigations are such a headache. The lawyer would help you navigate this and get the police to take you seriously. After you, your lawyer, and the police decide how you want to proceed, then you can notify the dating site. Finally, you should consider telling your friends and family that an online troll is gunning for you. This will help lessen the shock if the blackmailer follows through (although in reality, the blackmailer will probably move on to easier prey if you resist.) But consult with your lawyer and the documents at the online harassment resources for deciding how you want to handle things. I’m sorry this happened to you. Good luck. > **[Facing the Challenge of Online Harassment](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2015/01/facing-challenge-online-harassment)** > > In the nearly 25 years that EFF has been defending digital rights, our belief in the promise of the Internet has only grown stronger. The digital world frees users from many limits on communication and creativity that exist in the offline world. But... [http://www.crashoverridenetwork.com/familyandpolice.html](http://www.crashoverridenetwork.com/familyandpolice.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/24 "2017-09-14T14:42:06Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > It doesn’t have to be a _good_ or _convincing_ fake video. It just has to be good enough to scare a few gullible people into paying up. I doubt she creates any video at all. It’s like those “Final notice before IRS arrests you” phone calls. There’s no realistic potential for follow-through, they just want to trick people into thinking that the threat is real. But, in this case, the real risk of her making a fake video and sending it to people is the same as the risk of the IRS Police coming to your house in 20 minutes if you don’t buy a prepaid VISA and give the number to the guy on the phone. So my point is to tell the OP to breathe easy and report it to the site (or police, etc) if that’s what he wants. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/25 "2017-09-14T15:10:16Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Sorry, but the OP is a little too bizarre to be believable. As others have mentioned, there is no way to convincingly fake a video like that - to do so would take an enormous amount of technical skill/experience and effort. Not to mention that even if someone did, it would in no way ruin anybody’s life. > > I can’t help but feel the OP isn’t being 100% honest about the situation. But if I’m wrong about that I apologize: taking the story at face value, I would say she’s a complete weirdo and you have nothing to worry about. Let’s say the OP did indeed have a mutual masturbation session but is too embarrassed to admit it. The girl still hasn’t got squat to blackmail the OP. Unless the OP happens to be a public figure. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/26 "2017-09-14T15:18:34Z")
Thanks\*\* Merneith, BigT, Sunny Daze, \*\*etc. 🙂 > [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Has she actually threatened to do any of these things, or just commented on what she could do? If the latter, she might just be someone with a weird sense of what’s appropriate and interesting conversation. She says that’s what she will do - unless, presumably, I pay her something. I cut off communication with her before she iterated what her demands are, but presumably it’s about money. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/27 "2017-09-14T15:20:03Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I doubt she creates any video at all. It’s like those “Final notice before IRS arrests you” phone calls. There’s no realistic potential for follow-through, they just want to trick people into thinking that the threat is real. Right. I think it is just a bluff; in fact, some of her threats seemed like they were copy+pasted out of a Blackmailer’s Form Letter format. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/28 "2017-09-14T15:22:42Z")
> [@filmore](#): > > Deactivate your facebook account so it is offline. It won’t be deleted, but it will be gone from the site. You can reactivate it at a later time. Your friends won’t be able to see you either. If the scammer has already harvested my family and friends from my friends list on Facebook (as she claims to have done or will do,) then deactivating my Facebook wouldn’t help. > [@filmore](#): > > Do you have any idea where she is really from? Not where she says she’s from, but where she is really broadcasting from? Often, the scammers are in foreign countries and there’s not much you can do. Yeah, I don’t know. She claims to be residing in the Texas region but yeah, who knows where she is really running her operations out of. ---
**Author:** ![filmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7993a0/32.png) [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/29 "2017-09-14T15:42:31Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > If the scammer has already harvested my family and friends from my friends list on Facebook (as she claims to have done or will do,) then deactivating my Facebook wouldn’t help. How much communication can she do with your friends on facebook? Unless they actually friend her, I’m not sure how she can get the video to them. I think she can send a message to your friends, but it may go into a ‘Other’ folder and your friend won’t get a notification. And if that does happen, you can contact facebook and they can suspend her account and delete the messages she had sent. If you don’t disable facebook, go into your settings and set everything to private. In the event that she hasn’t captured your info, it would hide your friends list and such from her but still allow your friends to contact you. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/30 "2017-09-14T15:53:13Z")
Actually making a fake video isn’t worth the effort. She’s just trying to scare you into giving her money, as **Jophiel** says. She’s probably in India or Russia or someplace like that. Report it to the owners of the website, and to the police if you want, but apart from that, ignore it. Don’t do what I would do, which is troll the fuck out of her - ask her what she is wearing, tell her you won’t pay a dime unless Lassie is included in the video, ask her if she can digitally enhance the size of your dick, stuff like that. Because that would be tasteless. Regards, Shodan PS - also, don’t re-activate your FaceBook account or update your status to “In A Relationship (With A Porn Producer) _fingers crossed_” ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/31 "2017-09-14T16:00:58Z")
Look on the bright side … maybe she’ll photochop in some dude with a wang the size of a horse’s … then the date requests are going to be rolling in like forever … ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/32 "2017-09-14T16:02:26Z")
Demand editorial control and final say on the project. Also an executive producer credit. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/33 "2017-09-14T16:07:18Z")
Wait. What’s the downside here? I’d love to have a video of myself masturbating, especially if the lighting was done professionally and there was some snazzy background music. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/34 "2017-09-14T16:14:54Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Sorry, but the OP is a little too bizarre to be believable. As others have mentioned, there is no way to convincingly fake a video like that - to do so would take an enormous amount of technical skill/experience and effort. Not to mention that even if someone did, it would in no way ruin anybody’s life. How is the threat being technically impossible, or at least very difficult, an argument that, therefore, no scammer would ever use this threat? There’s no way my computer has been “sending out virus warnings” to the “internet windows department”, but that doesn’t stop me from getting several calls a month from scammers claiming exactly that. It’s a scary-sounding warning that preys upon people who lack the technical knowledge to know it’s crap. There are literally millions of people just like that out there. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/35 "2017-09-14T16:24:55Z")
Send her real ones, ask for tips. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/36 "2017-09-14T16:30:53Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Wait. What’s the downside here? I’d love to have a video of myself masturbating, especially if the lighting was done professionally and there was some snazzy background music. Perhaps the video she’s threatening to share is her reacting to his \*unexpected \*masturbating. The confusion, then realization and growing horror as her begging and appeals to his more virtuous nature are ignored… ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/37 "2017-09-14T16:38:20Z")
I’d be more impressed with a video of HIS reaction to unexpected masturbating. “Wha–what am I doing? I didn’t mean to do this!” ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/38 "2017-09-14T16:52:10Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Wait. What’s the downside here? I’d love to have a video of myself masturbating, especially if the lighting was done professionally and there was some snazzy background music. Pro tip: It would be better if you could beat to the [beat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23PjBqnH58M). ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/39 "2017-09-14T16:58:56Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Let’s say the OP did indeed have a mutual masturbation session but is too embarrassed to admit it. > > The girl still hasn’t got squat to blackmail the OP. Unless the OP happens to be a public figure. It’s possible that we are talking about someone who would be embarrassed to have their mother or niece or barber see them doing a sexual act. Or someone who is worried about such things being seen by important professional acquaintances. You know, a normal person. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292/40 "2017-09-14T17:41:50Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Demand editorial control and final say on the project. Also an executive producer credit. She said her name was _“Jean”_ not “\*Gene”. \*😛 [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=836202](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=836202) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-threatening-to-spread-fake-images-video-of-me-performing-a-sex-act-what-to-do/796292.md?page=3)