With the increasing use of WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and mobile phones, threats and blackmail through electronic communication have become increasingly common. A person may be threatened with physical harm, damage to reputation, disclosure of private information, publication of photographs or videos.
If you are facing such a situation, do not panic and do not comply with an unlawful demand merely because you are being threatened.
What Should You Do?
- Preserve the Evidence: – Do not delete threatening messages or chats. Preserve:
- Screenshots and complete chat records;
- Mobile numbers and call details;
- Social-media usernames and profile links;
- Emails and voice messages;
- Photographs, videos and other files;
- Bank/UPI transaction details, if money is demanded or transferred.
Keep the original electronic evidence safely and avoid editing or manipulating it.
- Make a Police Complaint: – You can submit a written complaint to the police describing the threat, the identity of the person, the platform used, the demand made and the evidence available.
- Report the Matter as Cybercrime: – Where the threat is communicated through electronic means, you can also report the matter through the Government’s National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal.
What If You Are Being Forced to Commit an Illegal Act?
If someone threatens or blackmails you to force you to participate in an illegal activity, do not voluntarily comply with the demand. Preserve the evidence and immediately seek assistance from the police and a qualified advocate. The legal consequences of any act allegedly committed under threat depend upon the specific facts, the nature of the threat and the applicable law.
What If the Police Do Not Take Action?
If appropriate action is not taken on your complaint, further legal remedies may be available, including approaching the senior police authorities and depending upon the circumstances, seeking appropriate relief before the competent Magistrate or High Court.