Strength alone does not make someone strong.
It is when the bottom falls out that you discover what you are really made of.
And I can tell you from experience, in the world of affair blackmail, I have seen the mighty crumble.
I do not say that to be derogatory.
I say it as a warning to successful professionals, executives, business owners, attorneys, doctors, and anyone with a public reputation who believes they can keep one foot in their professional life and another in a secret relationship.
Blackmailers are not born.
They become what they are because they see opportunity.
They see your career.
They see your reputation.
They see your business.
They see your bank account.
Most importantly, they see what you have to lose.
That is when the terror begins.
The threats start small.
Then they grow.
The demands become larger.
And once you pay, they often come back for more.
The fear of exposure becomes overwhelming because executives and professionals know exactly what is at risk.
A spouse.
A board position.
A law practice.
A medical career.
A business built over decades.
A reputation that took a lifetime to earn.
Many victims believe blocking solves the problem.
Sometimes it does not.
Others run to a lawyer believing a cease-and-desist letter will scare the blackmailer away.
In some situations, that can create new problems.
Imagine handing a blackmailer a document that identifies you and acknowledges the dispute.
Now imagine that document being shared with the very people you are trying to avoid.
Exposure threats require strategy.
Not panic.
Not emotional reactions.
Strategy.
That is where I come in.
I am Frank M. Ahearn, The Blackmail Fixer.
I step into the threat, deal directly with the predator, protect identities, work to prevent exposure, and help keep private matters from becoming public disasters.
People make mistakes.
A mistake should not cost you your marriage, career, reputation, or future.
Frank M. Ahearn is the author of “Ashley Madison Blackmail Survival Manual: 10 Rules Before You Pay or Panic.”