A man contacted me after some Facebook blackmailers sent him screenshots of his wife, relatives, friends, and coworkers.
Then came the message:
“Pay now or everyone sees everything.”
He looked at those faces and assumed the blackmailer had his entire Facebook friends list. He also feared messages might already be on their way.
That is what the blackmailer wanted him to believe. But a screenshot of someone’s profile does not tell you everything the blackmailer has found, and it does not prove they have sent that person a message.
I am Frank M. Ahearn. When someone uses Facebook contacts to threaten a client, I want to know exactly what the blackmailer has, what they are claiming, and what they can actually reach.
A Screenshot Is Meant to Make You Panic
A blackmailer does not need to show you hundreds of names. They may only need to show you your spouse, a relative, or one close friend.
You know who that person is. You know what exposure to them could mean. The blackmailer watches your reaction and learns where the pressure is greatest.
That fear can make you pay too quickly, beg, or explain which people you are desperate to protect. Do not give the blackmailer information they may not already have.
What Do They Actually Have?
Look at what they sent. Is it a screenshot of a public profile? A list of names? A draft message? Or evidence that something was delivered?
Those are different situations. I do not assume that every screenshot is a bluff, and I do not assume that everyone pictured has been contacted. I assess the threat before deciding how to handle the person behind it.
If the blackmailer is specifically threatening to send private material through Messenger, I have written about a case involving threats to message a client’s family.
I Take Over to Prevent Exposure
I take over the communication as my client. I slow the demands, find out what the blackmailer knows, and work to prevent exposure to the people they are threatening to contact.
Facebook may help them find names and faces. The blackmailer uses those people to create fear. I deal with the person making the threat.
If someone is showing you your Facebook contacts and demanding money, tell me what they sent and when they expect an answer. My Blackmail Help page explains how I take over.
Frank M. Ahearn
FA@FrankAhearn.com
About Frank M. Ahearn
I began my career as a skip tracer and social engineer in 1984. I learned how people find someone through family connections, businesses, telephone numbers, and small pieces of information. Later, I reversed that work and began protecting identities.
Today, I personally handle blackmail and extreme privacy cases. I am the New York Times bestselling author of How to Disappear and the author of the Blackmail Survival Manual.