Understanding Technology-Facilitated Violence
SITUATION:
Amir is using Facebook one day when he gets a friend request from a pretty girl named Shruti. They begin casually chatting which eventually leads to more intimate conversation. One day, Shruti asks Amir to send a sexual picture, but he refuses since he does not want to share an intimate photo. As a compromise, Amir agrees to join a video chat briefly but gets Shruti to promise she won’t record their call. Unfortunately, Shruti takes a screenshot during their call and now has explicit content of Amir.
The next day, Shruti’s profile disappears, and Amir realises she probably isn't real. Another anonymous account sends him the naked picture and says they will send it to his friends and family unless he pays them money. The account has gone through Amir’s friend list and identified his close friends and family.
Out of fear, Amir pays the ransom but is still concerned. A few days later, the anonymous account asks for more money but Amir does not have the funds.
Amir is extremely embarrassed and does not know what to do next. How can we support Amir?
Advice for Supporting Amir
Tell Amir that it is not his Fault. Online sextortion is extremely common in India and has grown into one of the country’s fastest-growing cybercrimes. There is also massive underreporting, so the reporting volume is just the tip of the iceberg. Remind Amir that this is not a personal vendetta against him, but rather a large-scale operation that targets many Indian boys. Sextortion can result in severe mental health consequences, including suicide, so it is important to assess their psychological safety.
Encourage Amir to Stop All Payments: Paying the ransom only postpones the blackmail and often results in the criminal demanding more money in the future.
Ensure Amir Collects Evidence: Amir should take screenshots of all his chats, including the initial request for intimate photos, relevant profile information, and any transactions. Collect all evidence before blocking the account, as blocking can sometimes make messages unretrievable.
Advise Amir to set his Account to Private: In cases of sextortion, the criminals are often reliant on your contact list. Setting your account to private can deter the criminal from reaching friends or family. AS A REMINDER: DO NOT DELETE YOUR PROFILE OR MESSAGES as it can make evidence collection difficult.
Encourage Amir to Call 1930: Sextortion and cybercrime with a financial element can be properly responded to by the police. The 1930 Helpline is well-equipped to deal with forms of sextortion, especially when a money transfer was involved.
Support Amir with Filing a Complaint: Amir can file a complaint using the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal or by visiting a local police station or dedicated cyber cell. This can be done anonymously.
Reporting Options
You can report cyber crimes in India immediately by calling the national helpline 1930 or filing a report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal. Crimes can be registered anonymously using a dedicated portal which pertains to cyber crimes against women and children. Even though Amir is a boy, the Reporting Portal does not ask for or verify your gender, name, or identity. The category structure filters the nature of the crime, not the gender of the person filing it.
NOTE: The type of sextortion experienced by Amir is different if he knows the offender offline.