Anyone being blackmailed over intimate images has a free way to get them removed, and the Federal Trade Commission is warning that some paid “helplines” are charging thousands of dollars for help they do not deliver. In a consumer alert on sextortion help, the FTC says online platforms must take down intimate images within 48 hours of a request, at no cost, under the Take It Down Act.
The same alert says the FTC has sued a company called Digital Forensics over what the agency describes as false promises to people who were being threatened.
What does the Take It Down Act give victims?
The FTC says online platforms must remove intimate images within 48 hours of a person’s request, and that removal through the platform is free. The alert tells people to report the images to the platform directly.
If the platform does not remove the images within 48 hours, the FTC says to report that to the agency at TakeItDown.ftc.gov. The alert does not walk through how to submit a removal request, so the platform’s own reporting tool is where the request begins.
Who did the FTC sue, and what does it allege?
The defendant is Digital Forensics, which operates four websites: BlackmailHelpline.com, DigitalForensics.com, CyberBlackmail911.com and SecurityBreach911.com. The FTC says the company charged sextortion victims thousands of dollars.
According to the FTC, the company falsely promised to stop sextortion threats, to prevent explicit material from spreading online and to report the perpetrators to criminal authorities. The agency says it did not deliver on those promises. These are the FTC’s allegations in a lawsuit, and the company has not been found liable.
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What should someone do when the threats start?
The person on the other end wants money, and the FTC’s advice starts with not paying the blackmailer and not giving the person access to devices or financial accounts. The agency also says to stop communicating with the person and to block them.
The alert recommends talking to someone trusted, such as a friend, a family member or a counselor, because people in this position often feel they have to deal with it alone. It is the kind of crime that depends on secrecy.
For a person who is being threatened right now, the order is simple. Do not pay, stop replying, send the platform a removal request, and report the person who is making the threats. The Take It Down Act route costs nothing, which is the point the FTC makes against the paid helplines.
Where do reports of sextortion go?
For criminal sextortion, the FTC points people to local police and to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-225-5324. When a minor is involved, the report goes to the CyberTipline run by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The alert lists two free support lines. Minors can call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678, and adults can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
How can a paid helpline be spotted?
The FTC’s test is a short one. Before paying any company for removal help, search its name along with words such as “scam,” “review” or “complaint.” The agency also says to scroll past paid search results when looking for help, since the helpline sites can be among the ads at the top of a page.
A company that promises to stop the threats, keep the material from spreading and report the person to criminal authorities is making the same three promises the FTC says Digital Forensics made.
What is still open in the lawsuit?
The FTC’s alert describes the complaint but not its outcome. It does not say how many people paid the four sites, how much was collected in total or what the agency is asking a court to order. Until the case moves, the free removal request and the reporting routes above are the steps the agency itself lists.
Threatened online and unsure who to pay or call?
A person who pays a fake helpline loses the money and still faces the threat, and a person who deletes the messages loses the evidence that police and the platform may ask for. The first hours are when most of those mistakes get made.
The Senior Fraud Defense & First-Hour Recovery Kit has the first-hour recovery plan, a fraud evidence and report log for keeping messages, dates and report numbers in one place, and the free credit-freeze steps for anyone whose accounts may be at risk.
Open the first-hour recovery plan and evidence log in the Fraud Defense Kit →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
