recovery and reassurance

[TheEpic112]

Hello again its been about over 50 days now since i was victim. This is last post on this forum. My life has been now fairly normal, but still looking for video sometime. I made new facebook account too early, I thought the waiting time was 2 weeks, but it was 4 weeks.I must have misread something.Scammer was from Ivory Coast. I made my new account after 3,5 weeks. Going keep off my social media one more week. The first day was the worst to be fair, still thinking about that sometimes, not so often anymore. Video was never posted anywhere. Also been helping some people on youtube, with same issuse. Cutting the contact with the scammer is most important step. This was the first think what i did basically. Blocked scammer and deleted my old facebook,skype etc accounts. I had actually anyway plan change my name in near future, but let's see where it goes. Sorry for my bad grammar. See ya all, scamsurvivors was definaly helpful for me. Keep up ur work guys!

[firefly]

TheEpic112,

Glad we were able to help you when need it and even better to see you leaving as a survivor.

Take care and stay safe.

[Nyguy1106]

Hello

It's been 4 months since I fell victim to a scammer. Like most of you I was lured into a Skype chat, showed a video of myself and immediately felt that sinking feeling. Of corse the emails came, one more threatening than the last, the images of my work website, sent with the email along with screen shots of the video. I immediately began that frantic search for the video. To my horror I found it in two places and sent a DCMA request and had them removed. I was almost fired from my career because the scammer sent the YouTube link to my bosses. I actually contemplated doing some very bad stuff, but if my friends and this forum ( I mostly read and don't post) weren't there to tell me how it's all going to be okay and I won't lose everything, weren't there I probably would have done something that would have hurt everyone I love and care about.

Now for the recovery part. I'm still taken back to that time every now and again by little triggers, I try my best to immerse myself in family and friends and talk to people who know the situation whenever those times come up. But I'll be honest, it's still hard to not let it get to me. Just the other day, a comment was made by someone at work who I don't know and has absolutely no knowledge of my scam about something totally innocent and unrelated, but it sent me back. "What if the scammer posted my video on social media to people I work with because they obviously know where I worked?" "What if that person saw it?" I googled and searched did some FB stalking, (not my account, I used a friends. I deleted mine like they said to) and checked emails for a good 24 hours straight. All the conspiracy theories your brain can drum up went through my mind, in fact one came up today again and I had that feeling back, but You know what I found? Nothing! I actually lost something else! Time with my family, time enjoying the now, my wife, my children, my rewarding career. I hope that one day I will be able to not let the "what if?" Creep back in, but I know I'll get there one day. It might take a few more months or even years, but I know that I'll be okay. I'm thinking about going to talk to someone about my situation, hoping that all this can be put behind me with a professional. There is no shame in talking about it. It actually helps a lot to post this message. All the moderators here do a great job of keeping the site up and running. Use it, read the posts of others and post your own recoveries. I know I'll be coming back here for a long time, reading and maybe posting.

Stay strong! Your better than them!

[Cowboysfan1025]

Hello all,

I am fresh off a scam that just occurred last night. Yes I was fooled into Facebook call and I am super ashamed to admit this because all my life I've heard don't trust people on the Internet. Obviously I was not thinking with the correct head. I did fall for the threats and send $300 only out of pure fear. Had it not been for this website I would have been on my way after work to send an additional $500. I have since deactivated my Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, snapchat basically any social media but I am still horrified right now. Can't muster an appetite and struggling through work here. I'm sure you guys have said it all 100 times but any kind or reassuring words/advice is much appreciated. Thank you!

[SlapHappy]

Enjoy your time off your social media for the next month. After all, the Cowboys are leading in the NFC East.
And my Giants seem to be blowing games badly...

You already got all the links I sent you regarding this kind of scam. I hope you'll take time to read all, and listen to the two podcasts. You'll see that scammer's lie, and we don't.

[Cowboysfan1025]

Thank you sir. It's gonna be tough sledding but the reading and the podcasts are helping. In my mind I was the only one that this had happened to an I panicked. Thank you for this website.

[jkim844]

I fell victim to this yesterday night. I really panicked and was not thinking straight since i'm a very gullible guy, but I ended up paying some money. The person kept on contacting me afterwards asking for more, but then I figured it wasn't worth it. I found this site later and followed the steps to protect myself and now i'm hanging low for a while. Reading these posts and knowing i'm not the only victim makes me feel so much better emotionally and now i'm just focusing on my work.

This is a life lesson I will always remember, and although the situation sucks and i'm down a little money, i'm very thankful for being aware that this is a thing. This is an experience I can share to others and hopefully prevent other's for falling for this.

[SlapHappy]

jkim844,

Thanks for giving us the scammer's details to help warn others. That is the first constructive step toward recovery.
And thanks for the donation to help keep the site running.

[pfme717]

Hi
Last few weeks have been the worst time of my life.
This forum has been a life saver.
Want to take time to thank everyone especially the moderators.
After the blackmail one feels violated , victimized and agonized.
The uncertainty factor about the scam makes it extremely painful.
On the other hand things do get better.To my it is a blessing.
I learnt much needed life lessons:
1.There are some bad people but most humans are good
2. I am not judgmental anymore
3. I am much more compassionate
4. I am much more giving
5. I go out of way to help other people
We should generously donate to this forum .
Honestly i feel bad for the scammer-as i dont know his situation as who would go to such a length to get money from people.
To the scammer- thank you for making me a better person.
[Name of scammer removed for your own protection. -SH]

[Kenxyn]

Hi all, it has been 3 weeks since I was blackmailed. So far nothing happens I do hope it stays that way forever. I followed all the steps from this website and for that I want to once again thank all the admins for the assurance and help. I learnt many things from this case and I have decided to disappear from social media for quite a while (several months). It actually feels good, no peer pressure and you can stop playing with your gadgets and see the environment around you better. Since I read from this website that these scammers are sociopath that scam/interact with many people at once. I started to research on sociopath and I have to admit it is a bad and also good thing that the scammer is a sociopath. Bad because you can really fall for it and love/like the scammer, good thing is once you followed all the steps provided here they don't bother about you anymore since they have many other better source of money. Once again, thank you admins for the support. I hope what I write here is helpful for other victims.