Victims of Ashley Madison blackmail fear exposure more than the money demand. That is why so many pay immediately.
In the middle of the panic, they fail to realize the blackmailer’s real goal is not one payment. It is to keep taking money for as long as the victim believes paying will prevent exposure.
I have seen victims lose hundreds of thousands of dollars through bank transfers and cryptocurrency because they believed payment was their only option.
It isn’t.
Panic leads to emotional decisions. A predator profits from emotion. Stopping blackmail requires tactical thinking and taking control of the situation.
Ashley Madison blackmail is easy to fall into. While you are chatting, the blackmailer is identifying you. A face photo, a mobile number, a username, or small pieces of personal information are often enough to locate your spouse, your employer, your LinkedIn profile, or your family.
Blackmailers would make excellent skip tracers.
Before deciding what to do, understand that every move changes the situation. Blackmail is transactional, and the idea of payment is often the predator’s leverage. Controlling that leverage is part of controlling the threat.
I help people think clearly when their lives have become dangerous.
I am Frank M. Ahearn, the Blackmail Fixer. I step in immediately, take over as you, protect your identity, work to prevent exposure, and make sure the situation moves in your favor instead of the blackmailer’s.
I am the author of Ashley Madison Blackmail Survival Manual: 10 Rules Before You Pay or Panic and How to Disappear: A Pocket Guide to Thinking, Planning, and Staying Gone.
There is a solution. Don’t think with panic. Think with a plan.