Sextortion and blackmail in Mexico: what to do if you are threatened

01How sextortion unfolds

The pattern is similar in almost every case. ADN40 (May 27, 2025) explains that criminals contact victims on social networks or dating apps and, when they obtain intimate images, use them to apply pressure. The FBI, in the summary of its 2025 report published by Security Boulevard (April 7, 2026), describes it this way: the victim is told the criminals hold compromising images and is ordered to produce more, under threat of publication or violence.

• The contact. An attractive profile starts the conversation and quickly moves it to a private chat.
• The exchange. They obtain intimate images of the victim, through deception or pressure.
• The threat. They tell the victim they have those images and threaten to publish them, or violence, if the victim does not comply.
• The escalation. If you pay, they tend to ask again. ADN40 adds, citing US Homeland Security Investigations, that malicious software is sometimes used to steal files from the phone and demand a ransom.

The person threatening you may not be the one in the profile. What matters is that you are not obliged to answer, and that the sooner you ask for help, the more options you have.

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The threat lives on fear and shame. Talking to someone you trust takes away its power.

02How common it is

Official Mexican figures on sextortion of adults are lacking, so it is wise to be careful with the numbers.

• United States. According to Security Boulevard (April 7, 2026), the FBI IC3’s 2025 report records more than 75,000 sextortion complaints; the article gives no loss figure.
• Mexico (survey). The Norton survey published by DPL News (February 5, 2025) includes sextortion among the frauds Mexican dating-app users say they have suffered (20%). The article does not give the survey year and does not specify whether the percentage is calculated over all users or only over those who said they were targeted by a scam.

These are figures from complaints or surveys and count only the cases that are reported. The reason to act is not the number: it is that there are steps that work better when taken early.

03What you should not do

These rules appear in authority notices and the press, and it helps to have them clear before you reply.

• Do not pay. Paying does not guarantee they will stop and it usually increases the demands. ADN40 recommends not sending payments or more images.
• Do not send more images or material, even if they promise to delete the earlier ones.
• Do not delete the messages. You need them as evidence.
• Do not hire “help companies” that charge up front. On April 7, 2023, the FBI warned about for-profit companies that charge high fees to sextortion victims, use threats or false information and may discourage you from going to the police; the recommendation is to go to the authorities and to non-profit organizations that help for free.
• Do not isolate yourself. Talk to someone you trust: a friend, a relative or a professional.

If you have doubts about a specific threat, answer as little as possible and ask the authorities for guidance.

04What to do, step by step

These steps put the response in order. Take them in this order, and ask a trusted person for help if the situation overwhelms you.

• Stop contact and block. Do not argue or negotiate.
• Keep the evidence. Screenshots of the chats, usernames, links, phone numbers, emails and receipts for any payment. The SSC asks you to keep these details so you can report.
• Report to the platform. Social networks and apps have tools to report accounts and content.
• Protect your accounts. The SSC Cyber Police recommend adjusting privacy so only approved people see your information, using unique passwords and turning on two-step verification (UnoTV, November 9, 2025).
• Report or ask for guidance. SSC Cyber Police in Mexico City: 55 5242 5100, extension 5086, and [email protected]; also @SSC_CDMX (UnoTV, November 9, 2025; ADN40, May 27, 2025). National Guard: 088 (Excélsior, August 14, 2025). The crime is also reported to the Ministerio Público of the relevant prosecutor’s office.
• If you are in the United States, the FBI says to report at ic3.gov, at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or at your local FBI field office (notice of April 7, 2023).

The contact details come from press reports citing the authorities, with their dates; confirm them on the official site, because they can change.

05If intimate images are at stake

If you fear intimate images will be published, there are tools to slow their spread on participating platforms.

• StopNCII.org. Its page explains that you select the images or videos on your device and the system creates a digital fingerprint (hash) of each one; the fingerprint is sent, not the image, and the content stays on your device. Participating platforms compare the fingerprint and remove matching content if it violates their policy. You receive a case number and a PIN, which cannot be recovered if you lose them.
• Its limits. StopNCII.org says it cannot remove images from the whole internet, only on participating platforms.
• Each platform’s tools. Also report the content with each platform’s reporting tools, in addition to StopNCII.org.

Check the StopNCII.org site to see whether you can use it in your case. If the images are already circulating, save the links before reporting them, because they can serve as evidence.

06Prevention: meeting someone more safely

The best defense is not handing intimate material to someone you have not met in person, however convincing the conversation seems. ADN40 recommends not sharing intimate photos on social networks or online and covering the camera when it is not in use.

Premium Dating Mexico is a private introduction service mediated by the administrator: it is free for women, nobody pays for a meeting, identities are verified and photos are protected. No system is foolproof, so we apply the same precautions as always: do not share intimate material, use public places and tell someone you trust. Learn more on the home page.

To keep reading about safety, see the guides on fake ads and on advance-payment scams.

This guide is general protective information and does not replace legal advice or the authorities. Figures and contact details come from named, dated sources; confirm them on the official site before using them. We have no relationship with any platform, company or service mentioned.