Someone is Threatening Me Online: What to Do

If someone is threatening you online, the combination of fear, shame, and uncertainty about what to do next makes it difficult to act clearly. Online threats have surged dramatically in recent years from blackmail and sextortion to harassment campaigns and identity-based attacks, and they can come from strangers, acquaintances, or people you once trusted. The platform doesn't matter: threats via Instagram, WhatsApp, email, or gaming apps all carry the same legal weight and all demand the same methodical response. But the steps you take in the first hours significantly shape how the situation unfolds. Legal protections exist, law enforcement takes these crimes seriously, and effective help is available. This guide walks through everything you need to do: stopping the immediate threat, documenting evidence, reporting to authorities, and protecting yourself going forward.

Stop All Communication and Secure the Evidence

The single most important first step when someone is threatening you online is to stop engaging immediately. Do not respond, negotiate, or attempt to reason with them. Every interaction gives them more information, more leverage, and encouragement to continue. Block them, but only after documenting everything. Scammers and harassers rely on your panic to drive the situation; silence combined with methodical action consistently produces better outcomes than any form of engagement.

Before blocking, create comprehensive documentation:

• Screenshot every message, post, and threat with timestamps and usernames visible
• Save any photos, videos, or files sent by the threatening party
• Record the platform, dates, and times of all interactions
• Note any identifying information about the perpetrator; usernames, email addresses, phone numbers
• Store evidence in multiple locations: cloud storage, external drives, and printed copies

Do not delete threatening messages. Your instinct may be to erase them, but these records are essential evidence for law enforcement and legal proceedings. Once documented, secure your accounts: change passwords to strong, unique passphrases, enable two-factor authentication everywhere, review privacy settings, and remove connections to suspicious apps. Check login history for unauthorized access and notify platforms if your accounts appear compromised. These security steps should be completed within the first hour before you focus on any other response.

Report to Authorities

Law Enforcement

File a report with the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov. The FBI investigates serious online threats, particularly those crossing state lines or involving minors. For urgent cases involving active threats to safety or substantial financial demands, contact your local FBI field office directly rather than waiting for IC3 processing. Also visit your local police station with printed evidence; threats, blackmail, and harassment are crimes regardless of whether they occur online or offline. Filing a police report creates an official record essential for any subsequent civil action, even if local police refer the case to federal authorities. Bring your documented evidence, a written timeline, and a clear explanation of what has been threatened and why you believe it is credible.

Platform Reporting

Report threatening behavior directly to the platform where it occurred. Most social media sites and messaging apps have reporting mechanisms for harassment, threats, and blackmail. Locate the report option on the threatening content, select the appropriate violation category, provide context and your documentation, and block the account. Most platforms respond to urgent reports within 24-72 hours. Platform reporting and law enforcement reporting should happen simultaneously one does not replace the other.

Legal Protections Available to You

Online threats may violate multiple criminal statutes depending on their nature:

• Extortion and blackmail: Demanding something of value through threats
• Cyberstalking: A pattern of threatening behavior through electronic means
• Harassment: Repeated unwanted communication causing distress
• Interstate communication of threats: A federal offense when threats cross state lines
• Child exploitation: Significantly enhanced penalties when minors are involved

Penalties range from fines to decades of imprisonment. Many online threats automatically invoke federal jurisdiction because they cross state lines through internet communications. Beyond criminal prosecution, victims can pursue civil legal action including restraining orders prohibiting contact, damages lawsuits for emotional distress and therapy costs, and injunctions requiring content removal. Civil cases proceed independently of criminal charges, you can pursue compensation even if the criminal case is delayed or results in no conviction. If you're being blackmailed online, specialized legal counsel can pursue both tracks simultaneously, and some attorneys work on contingency for cases with strong evidence.

If Content Has Been Posted

If the threatening party distributes harmful content, act immediately on all fronts:

• Report to the platform using harassment or privacy violation reports
• Submit a DMCA takedown request if you hold copyright to images or content
• Request search engine de-indexing from Google and Bing
• Document the posting before it's removed screenshots are essential evidence
• Escalate your law enforcement report and inform investigators of the new development

For persistent or widespread distribution, online harassment removal services can coordinate removal across multiple platforms simultaneously and monitor for re-posting. If intimate images are involved, revenge porn removal services can act within hours, independently of any criminal proceedings. Content removal does not prevent prosecution both tracks should run in parallel.

Common Mistakes That Make Things Worse

Don't pay extortion demands. Payment never ends extortion research consistently shows that 80-90% of victims who pay face additional demands. Paying confirms you're a profitable target, funds criminal operations, and may complicate law enforcement investigations. This applies equally to sextortion situations paying perpetrators of intimate image threats almost always results in escalating demands.

Don't retaliate or negotiate. Counter-threats create legal problems for you and may dramatically escalate the situation. Extortionists aren't interested in reasonable discussion, every response gives them information and encouragement. Attempting to identify or confront the perpetrator yourself can also backfire and give them additional leverage.

Don't delete your accounts. This prevents law enforcement investigation, eliminates evidence, and may signal panic to perpetrators who are monitoring your online activity. Secure accounts and adjust privacy settings instead.

Don't ignore the threat. Hoping it disappears rarely works. Perpetrators typically interpret silence as an opportunity to escalate. Prompt, methodical reporting is consistently more effective than waiting.

Protecting Yourself Going Forward

Reduce your vulnerability by auditing your digital footprint. Review and tighten social media privacy settings, remove personal information from public profiles, and opt out of data broker websites that publish personal details. Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts, keep software updated, and use strong unique passwords for every service; a password manager makes this manageable. Be cautious with links and attachments even from known contacts, and consider a VPN for additional privacy. If threats suggest real-world knowledge of your location, vary your routine and routes, inform trusted contacts or employers, and consider additional physical security measures such as notifying building security or local police about your situation.

For long-term recovery after someone has been threatening you online, set up Google Alerts for your name and any identifying information, periodically search for your information on major search engines, and monitor social media for fake profiles or unauthorized content. Professional reputation protection services can handle ongoing monitoring automatically, flagging new threats before they escalate. Being targeted online is never your fault, and with the right support, a full return to normalcy is achievable.

Getting Professional Help

The psychological impact of online threats fear, shame, hypervigilance, difficulty sleeping, withdrawal from social relationships is real and deserves support alongside the practical response. Professional counseling helps process the trauma and develop coping strategies that allow you to function through the process. Consider attorneys specializing in cybercrime, internet law, or harassment; many offer free initial consultations to evaluate your case and explain your options across both criminal and civil tracks.

Specialized services provide comprehensive support for active situations: 24/7 emergency response, evidence preservation guidance, law enforcement coordination, content removal, and ongoing monitoring across the internet. These services operate independently of law enforcement you don't have to choose one or the other, and pursuing both simultaneously produces the best outcomes. If you're dealing with sextortion, stop sextortion resources provide immediate targeted guidance for the first critical hours.

Altahonos have helped over 12,000 victims of online blackmail and threats, with a 99% success rate at preventing content distribution when contacted within 24 hours. Time matters, professional intervention in the first 24 hours significantly improves outcomes. Getting help is not a sign of weakness; it is the single most effective step you can take when someone is threatening you online.