Someone is threatening to share a morphed photo of you. Here is what to do.

In the first hour

1. Do not pay, and do not replyEvery rupee you send proves the threat works. Do not bargain, plead or send "please don't". Silence is safer than any reply.
2. Save the evidence before you blockScreenshot every message, the sender's number or profile, any payment demand, UPI ID or QR code, and the morphed image itself. Note the dates and times. Save them in a folder, ideally also in email or cloud storage so you don't lose them if your phone is taken.
3. Tell the people closest to you firstA short message works: "Someone is trying to blackmail me with a fake edited photo. If you receive anything, it is fake. Please don't open it, report the number and delete it." Once your family has heard it from you, the blackmailer has nothing left to threaten.
4. Lock down your accountsMake your social media profiles private and remove your public photos for now. If this came from a loan app, revoke its permissions and uninstall it. Change passwords and turn on two-step verification for email, WhatsApp and Instagram.
5. Report it: 1930 and cybercrime.gov.inCall 1930, then file online at cybercrime.gov.in with your screenshots. See how to file a cybercrime complaint for the exact steps. You can also go to your nearest police station with the folder and ask for an FIR.

Getting the image taken down

Under India's IT Rules, social media platforms must act on a complaint about an image that shows a person in a sexual act or conduct, or is artificially morphed to do so, within 24 hours. Use the platform's own report option first, and choose the category for non-consensual intimate or impersonating content.

• WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, Telegram: report the message, post or account from inside the app. Each platform also lists a Grievance Officer for India in its help pages; write to them with the link and your complaint number.
• StopNCII.org: if the image is intimate (real or fake) and you are 18 or older, this free tool creates a digital fingerprint of the image on your own phone, without uploading it, so participating platforms can block copies.
• Under 18: use Take It Down (takeitdown.ncmec.org), which works the same way for minors.
• If a platform does not act, mention that in your cybercrime complaint. Police can issue a formal notice to the platform.

The law is on your side

You have done nothing illegal. The person threatening you may be committing several offences at once, including:

• Extortion (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 308): demanding money by threatening harm to your reputation.
• Criminal intimidation (BNS section 351) and defamation (BNS section 356).
• Sexual harassment (BNS section 75) where the images or messages are sexual.
• Publishing obscene or sexually explicit material electronically (IT Act sections 67 and 67A) and violating privacy (IT Act section 66E).

You don't need to quote these sections to the police; they know them. Knowing they exist helps when someone tells you "you will be the one in trouble". You won't be.

Why it happened, and how to stop it happening again

Most loan-app blackmail begins with one permission: access to your contacts and gallery, given when you installed the app. Before installing any finance app, check that it is RBI regulated, and never let a lender read your contacts or photos. If you took the loan because money ran short, the lasting fix is a small emergency fund.

Questions people ask

Will paying make them stop?

Almost never. Payment tells them you are afraid and able to pay, and the next demand is usually larger. People who pay once are typically asked again within days.

They have already sent the photo to some contacts. Is it too late?

No. Tell those contacts directly that the image is fake and part of an extortion attempt, ask them to report and delete it, and file your complaint. Most people who receive such images from an unknown number recognise it as a scam, especially if you speak to them first.

Can I report anonymously?

On cybercrime.gov.in, the section for crimes against women and children allows reporting sexually explicit content without logging in. For extortion and to get an FIR you will need to give your details, and police are required to keep a victim's identity confidential in sexual offence cases.

I am under 18. What should I do?

Tell a parent, teacher or another adult you trust today, and call the child helpline 1098. You can also use Take It Down (takeitdown.ncmec.org) to stop the image spreading on major platforms. Nothing about this is your fault.