Guess it was my turn.

[Veqja]

I guess my story is like everyone else's. No need to really go into details right?

It's been about five hours, and by now the thing I'm most bothered by is how stupid I was. Not to have some fun on a webcam, I see no harm in that, but that I let myself be fooled. I should have trusted my gut. Luckily I did not give out my phone number. Now before I list the steps I took afterwards: Here's a few tips that might be worth adding to one of your helpful lists:

- If the facebook page is new: Do not trust it.
- If the facebook page has only a few friends, all male: Do not trust it.
- If there is no other activity on the page other than the adding of friends and pictures: Do not trust it.
- Check closely if the facebook pictures match the person you're chatting with.
- Do not. Ever. Give out your phone number.
- Do not use your full name as a Skype name. First name and an initial will suffice.
- Go to your facebook homepage, click the little cogwheel, and select "View As". You will now be presented with a public view of your facebook page. Have a look around, do you want everyone to be able to see all this? Who your family is, where you live, who your friends are...

Now, I had already secured my online presence pretty well, or so I thought, however the blackmailer pulled some names from random "likes" on posts and pictures after I added them as a friend. Bad news: They have names. Good news: They have no idea as to my relation to these people.

They started with the, apparently very common, badly spelled threats and shame tactics. While they were doing this I already closed down my cam so they could not see my response (ofcourse I was shocked). And while they were telling me to be quiet and listen, and spamming me with threats. I was deleting and blocking them on the site they contacted me on, facebook, etc.

I then continued to tell the blackmailer very clearly "I do not have any money. I cannot pay you even if I wanted to. Goodbye." After which I blocked and deleted them from my Skype as well.

I then went on to make sure my facebook was not google-able, that I was not find-able in any way, and that only friends could message me. For good measure I changed my facebook account-name (the link I gave them won't work anymore). The name I have on facebook (they can't find me through my friends). And my profile picture (I am no longer recognizable).

Oh, and I set up a google alert with different ways of spelling my name.

Now it seems I have instinctively done all the right things. Is there anything else I should keep in mind?

[Veqja]

Update: Just received a teeeeeeerrrrriiiibbbbleeee e-mail from the "moderator of youtube". They're going to charge me 75.000 pounds (guess I'll have to go to the UK to get some for them).

I understand that these things are quite a serious matter for some. But I must say this is very badly done.

[Wayne]

It sounds like you've done a lot of the right things already. We recommend deactivating your FB account for 2 weeks. A more persistent scammer could still find you otherwise, and this one has already proven willing to go that extra step. What about a Google alert? Also, can you give us their details, either here or by filling in the form at http://www.scamsurvivors.com/bmform.htm

[Veqja]

Both the facebook account and badoo account have been deleted by now. And the logs have unfortunately dissappeared. If I find anything I'll post it for sure.

[SlapHappy]

Look in your skype history, or at your list of blocked contacts to get the scammer's skype name to post here.