recovery and reassurance

[imasurvivor19]

hey all. 2 days ago I was targeted in sextortion. I paid them 1500 dollars and I know that was a mistake. I have since deleted both accounts I spoke to the scammers on and deactivated my Facebook. Snapchat is where the threats happened and I use the same username there as I do for Instagram and Twitter because I am a music artist. I cannot really afford to deactivate those accounts completely so i privated them and made it so that no one from the outside can send me any messages. do you guys feel that I will be able to put those profiles back on public after a few weeks / months?i have not been contacted in any way since Friday evening (it is now Sunday evening). I feel much more confident that this will pass now that I’ve found this website and all your testimonies / advice. I have filled out the form about my experience and I hope it can help others.

[SlapHappy]

Since you gave them a considerable amount of money, double the time off social media. In a couple of months, you should be fine.

[theyveseenmywilly]

I just wanted to move this thread to the proper thread, since it seems like I accidentally made a new topic instead of posting to the proper one:

Hi,

It’s been 7 months since I fell for a sextortion scam. I never sent them money, but they did end up sending a bunch of clips via fake accounts to 30 or so of my Facebook friends over the course of a few days. You can read a Reddit post on it here:

I haven’t really thought about it too much since then but I just thought about it again, and I came across scam survivors. The advice here was to delete your social media; however, I never actually ended up doing it; I just stripped a whole bunch of information Facebook, locked down my privacy settings, changed my associated email address and URL; but I never deactivated or deleted everything.

I was wondering how unusual my case was that they actually went through and sent some of it; I haven’t really been asked about it since and many people who received these messages said they reported it and the accounts are gone now. I was also wondering whether it was still worth deactivating all my social media at this point or whether the scammers have likely moved on.

Scammers may post videos if you don’t close everything. This is not unusual. After 7 months of nothing, it’s clear that they are done with you.

If only I had this advice and this site when this first happened

So it's probably not worth it at this point to delete and change my social media at this point I guess; it was certainly a traumatizing experience knowing people received it and I don't wanna put any more energy into dealing with it or thinking about it anymore. Thank you!

[PocketsFullofPosy]

Hey everyone,
When I was catfished years ago, SlapHappy was of tremendous help and I ended up feeling vindicated and a true winner. Some amazing things have happened in my life since then.

However, I have come across a very hands-on, engaging scam that has been transpiring for apparently 13+ years. On March 20, 2021, I first sent an email to Wayne, providing details and evidence of this widespread plot, titled "URGENT: Massive Scam, Stolen Identity & Catfishing Scheme in Hollywood", then forwarded it to Firefly and Big Al the following day. Yet, I have received no reply. I would have posted it to "Am I being scammed/Is this a scammer?", but I wanted to discuss it with the administrators first, to know if I can. If so, how much of the victims' information should be provided, as proof that their identities were stolen?

Also, this scheme was so extensive that I had to close my email address - that's why I sent it from a separate one. So, I - like hundreds to thousands of others - am very much a victim. If it could be changed to the one I emailed you guys from, that would be terrific.

[SlapHappy]

PocketsFullofPosy,

We have read your report and this is not something that we deal with. If you are concerned about any of your "Hollywood names," not mentioned, please alert them. Do not post any innocent victims here. If you feel that you were scammed, with concrete provable claims, then go to the police and report it to them.
Then, drop it. Do not get involved in anything you have no business being in. You will only make it worse for you and for them.

[iwearahat]

I was scammed four years ago. I deleted all social media and nothing was ever posted and have mostly moved on with my life. However, I now have an opportunity for a new job that will put me in the public eye, but I am scared that by accepting the position the scammer will come forward again with the video. Has anyone ever experienced anything like this feeling? Do the scammers ever return?

[Wayne]

After four years of no contact from the scammer? I would say you're 99.99% safe at this point.

[iwearahat]

Thanks, Wayne. That's good to hear. I don't want to decline a great opportunity just because there's a small chance the scammer might resurface.

[cauliflower111]

Hi guys, I got caught up in one of the webcam blackmail scams/sextortion about a little more than a year ago. And to be honest, it was definitely one of the most scariest moments I had ever encountered online and for a long time I really thought there was no way out. I was anxious and searched all over the web for solutions, and there were mixed opinions out there. There were some cybersecurity services that said being blackmailed online and your personal information exposed meant that there always existed a risk of your video being leaked and your reputation destroyed, and the best solution seemed to be paying their service and disappearing online forever. I really did not think our cases were that serious but they made me really worried.

I am lucky I did not pay their service but I was constantly checking the web for my name and thinking about this all the time until I found ScamSurvivors which really calmed me down. Since then, I had also talked to survivors that I knew, watched Youtube channels that provide advice to people being scammed like IRS I reck scammers, and finally took up the courage to report my case to the police. I took down a lot of advice regarding this and I think this is great advice that I should tell fellow victims as well if they are going through this type of scam right now. For me, the biggest loss is not money but the worry that a scam syndicate has a private picture or video of me and could potentially release it to the public to damage my reputation. But as I read from ScamSurvivors and also talking to the local police in my area, this is something that is highly unlikely to happen. No one has said it is impossible to happen, but with its low probability of happening, no one should actively wait and anticipate that their video or picture will resurface on the internet for everyone to view at a later date. My local police confirmed this low probability by telling me this is true of most of the reports coming in as well. And another thing is that your facial and bodily features are still undergoing changes from year to year (especially if you are younger ). So even in a very unlikely scenario that your video is discovered by your co-workers and friends on a random porn site maybe years from now (who will go there anyway), they might even doubt whether it is you. Even if you are absolutely certain it is you and want to make a police report about it, you will have to provide evidence to the police to show that it is indeed you which could be somewhat difficult in the first place. So in the end, whether the video is released or not, this is not something that you should keep in your mind about. People are more forgiving than you think, and many many people go through this type of scam daily all around the world.

I advise some people who are not able to move past this after three months to go and see a psychiatrist or therapist. It could be that other problems or modes of thinking are preventing you from moving on. I have done counselling sessions and I can say they do help. I am still on my way of becoming a full survivor but I really want to thank the administrators at ScamSurvivors for helping me and fellow victims pass through the emotional struggles of being blackmailed. I am going to start living my life now and take a break from this website after reading so much posts from you guys. I wish you guys the best of luck in your future and one day technology could let all the scammers pay for what they had done.

[nearlypaidalot]

Hello fellow survivors -- I am only 1 day removed from both my initial and final contact with my sextortion scammer, but I have felt a roller coaster of emotions over these last 24 hours. While I still don't know for certain if the video has been sent to anyone, or if it ever will be, or how I'll even feel tomorrow morning, I do feel pretty good right now, and I thought it might be useful for others for me to share how I arrived at this momentary calmness.

The key for me, even as an adult mid-twenty-something man, was to reach out to my parents at 4 AM in the midst of this chaotic communication with my scammer and just pour out what I was going through. Their concern for my emotional well being all day today was a nice reminder of how meaningful loved ones make our lives. If there is someone close to you that you trust -- parents, friends, even this message board, anyone -- reach out and say something, and, yes, its okay to cry. And I mean bawling. Today, I cried a lot, but I was smiling to myself too, thinking about how my friends and family wouldn't care even if this video ever did surface or get sent to them. For me, it was empowering to turn to love from people who care about me, even ones I didn't confide in about this incident, and know that that love frees me from the manipulation of any scammer.

I'll conclude by saying this -- you have value, and a lot of it, even if you feel like scum right now. I feel good right at this moment, but it is too soon to know what kind of anxiety will hit over the next few days and weeks. But I know that I will get through this, and YOU WILL TOO!