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Someone online is threatening to share your teen's photos unless they pay or send more. This is called sextortion. It is a crime against your child, not something your child did wrong, and what you do in the next hour matters more than how it happened.
The people behind it count on panic. A Thorn study of reports made to the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) found that perpetrators push victims to "make quick decisions" and pay quickly, before they can seek help from caregivers. Being calm and slow is your first advantage.
What should you do in the first hour?
Here is the order we suggest; the minutes are a guide.
Minutes 0-5: stop. Don't pay, don't send anything more, and don't argue with the blackmailer. Tell your teen they are not in trouble.
Minutes 5-20: save the evidence. Take screenshots before anyone blocks or deletes anything.
Minutes 20-35: report. Call 1930 and file a complaint on the national cybercrime portal.
Minutes 35-45: start the takedown. Report the account and any posted image to the platform.
Minutes 45-60: talk. Sit with your teen and agree on next steps.
Should you pay the blackmailer?
No. Paying tells them the threat works.
In the Thorn and NCMEC analysis, 27% of victims who mentioned paying described further demands after their first payment. The same study found that 90% of victims detected in the NCMEC reports it examined were male, aged 14 to 17, so do not assume this only happens to girls.
If money has already gone, don't pay again; note the UPI ID or bank details for your report.
How do you save the evidence without making things worse?
Screenshot, then stop. Save:
the blackmailer's profile page, username and profile link
the full chat, including the threats and any payment demand
any UPI ID, phone number, QR code or account number they sent
links to anywhere the image has been posted, with dates and times
Do not forward the photo itself to anyone, including relatives or school staff. Do not delete your teen's account or the chat until you have reported; after that, block the account.
Where do you report sextortion in India?
Use both official routes.
Call 1930. The Press Information Bureau describes 1930 as the national cybercrime helpline that gives immediate help to victims of online financial fraud, including freezing fraudulent transactions where possible. Call it at once if money was demanded or paid.
File on cybercrime.gov.in. The same PIB note says the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal has a special focus on offences targeting women and children. Upload your screenshots there.
Your local police cyber cell can also take the complaint. Our guide to reporting cybercrime on 1930 and the online portal walks through the form.
How do you get the photos taken down?
India's IT Rules give you a deadline to hold platforms to. According to the Press Information Bureau, intermediaries must remove or disable access within 24 hours of a complaint about content showing a person in full or partial nudity or a sexual act, including morphed images. Someone else can file on the person's behalf, so you can file for your child.
Two free tools help stop the image spreading on participating platforms:
Taken under 18: Take It Down, run by NCMEC, makes a digital fingerprint (a hash) of the image; the image itself stays on your device.
Taken at 18 or over: StopNCII.org works the same way, for use by the person pictured.
If the picture is fake or edited, see what to do when someone morphs your photo with AI.
What should you say to your teen?
Your teen may fear your reaction as much as the blackmailer. Lead with safety, not questions about how the photo was taken:
"Thank you for telling me. You are not in trouble."
"This person is a criminal. They do this to many people, and it is their crime, not your fault."
"We are not paying. We will save everything and report it together."
"You can tell me anything else that happened, now or later."
Then ask what they need tonight. It might be sleeping with the phone outside the room, or a sibling or friend knowing. If your teen wants to read something themselves, share our teen-facing guide, someone is threatening to leak your photos: what to do now.
Blackmailers often threaten that a teen's life will be ruined. Tele MANAS (14416) is a toll-free, 24/7 government helpline where callers can choose their language, according to the Press Information Bureau.
After the first hour, keep one folder of evidence, track your complaint, and chase platforms that miss the deadline. Watch your teen's sleep and mood, and bring in a counsellor if they stay withdrawn. When they are ready to get back to schoolwork, Fermi's AI tutor can work out what they already know and build a plan for the session, so a lost week becomes a clear next step.
