What to do if you have been blackmailed on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram?
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp make us feel more connected and for the younger generation, a day without social media has become unimaginable. In a few years, these platforms have gained a lot of popularity and attracted millions of users worldwide. While the benefits of social media for the society are uncountable, it has got its own disadvantages as well.
The darker side reveals that these platforms are being used by antisocial elements to blackmail others for their own advantage. There have been many incidents of innocent people being blackmailed through Whatsapp and Facebook.
Blackmailing takes place when someone threatens you and demands financial or other forms of benefits. As per the law, blackmailing is a serious crime and it can have negative effects on the person who is being blackmailed.
If you are being blackmailed by someone, you should always seek help from the law enforcement bodies. Suffering silently would have undesired effects on your health and mind. So in this blog, we will discuss what you need to do if you have been blackmailed by someone on Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp.
What to do if you have been blackmailed on WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram?
1. If you are being blackmailed by someone on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Whatsapp, do not tolerate it and stay silent. Instead, you must fight back against the blackmailer from the day one itself.
2. It is advisable to report to the local police if you are a victim of cyber-blackmail. But before you reach out to police, contact a lawyer and take proper advice to track down the blackmailer. This can make your case stronger. By reporting the case to the police, you might be able to stop the blackmailer from doing the same to others.
3. Make sure you have all the evidence such as pictures, screenshots of conversations and so on. This will help you to get justice.
4. In case of cyber-blackmail, the victims can also report the crime anonymously at www.cybercrime.gov.in. It is a dedicated website set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs for reporting cybercrime. In order to post the complaint on this website, the victim has to create an account by providing his mobile number and name. The website also allows the victim to track his/her case online.
5. If the victim has reported the issue online at www.cybercrime.gov.in, the respective police authorities of the States or UTs will deal with the complaint based on the information provided by the victim.
How to report the incident on Facebook?
If you have been blackmailed by someone on Facebook you can report the crime to Facebook with the help of the following link
How to report the incident on Instagram?
If someone blackmails you on Instagram you can report the issue to Instagram with the help of the following link
How to report the incident on Whatsapp?
If you have been blackmailed by someone on Whatsapp you can report the person by using the Report feature in the chat itself.
