Frequently Asked Questions

No. Legal and moral responsibility is the criminal's — full stop. Sextortion operations are run by organized networks that target thousands of victims using industrial-scale scripts. The FBI, NCMEC, and every victim-support organization in America treat sextortion victims as exactly that: victims of a federal crime.

In most documented cases, no — perpetrators rarely follow through once payment is refused, because sharing the content destroys their leverage and ends the extortion. But "most cases" is not "your case," which is why every threat should be documented, monitored, and reported. That's precisely what a SmishGuard engagement provides: verified, timestamped evidence of what actually happened, not what fear says might happen.

No. The FBI, NCMEC, and FTC are unanimous on this: do not pay. Payment marks you as a paying target, invites escalating demands, and funds the same networks behind teen suicides. Visit FBI.gov or reportfraud.ftc.gov to read the guidance yourself.

Yes — sextortion is a federal crime, and enforcement is accelerating. File a report with the FBI at IC3.gov and with your local police department. Cases involving minors can also be reported to the NCMEC CyberTipline. A documented, timestamped evidence package — which is what we produce — makes every one of those reports dramatically stronger.

This is a scripted escalation tactic designed to convert panic into payment. The counterintuitive truth: preemptive, controlled disclosure removes the leverage entirely. If the people who matter hear it from you first, in your words, the criminal has nothing left to sell. Our specialists can help you plan that conversation — discreetly and on your terms.

Your digital footprint, the threat actor's platform accounts, image traces across public sources, and financial accounts linked to the threat (payment demands, crypto addresses, associated wallets). Everything is collected through open-source and authorized channels. See our full service methodology.

No — and no ethical company can. Anyone guaranteeing deletion is selling you a lie, and that lie is the foundation of every recovery scam in this industry. What we can do: document everything, monitor for exposure, prepare platform takedown requests, and give your attorney and law enforcement an evidence package they can act on.

Encrypted intake, no third-party sharing, strict internal access controls, and disciplined retention. Client information is never shared, sold, or used in marketing. Read our Privacy Policy for the full breakdown.

5, 15, or 30 days depending on your tier — Essential ($700), Advanced ($1,800), or Professional ($2,900). See pricing details.

No. We work from account information, usernames, and threat content only — never explicit material. Please do not send explicit images to anyone, including us. Our methodology doesn't require them and our intake doesn't accept them.

Yes. Reports are formatted per federal evidence documentation standards, with chain-of-custody documentation on every artifact, so they can be submitted to law enforcement and used in legal proceedings. Your attorney can request our methodology outline at any time.

Email help@smishguard.bond or complete the intake form on our Get Help page. A senior OSINT specialist reviews every submission within 4 hours — confidentially and without obligation.

The scammer's usernames or profile links, the platform where contact occurred, the nature of the threat, and any payment demands made. Screenshots strengthen the intake but aren't required to begin — we can start with fragments and build from there.

Document it (screenshot with visible timestamp) and forward it to us immediately. Do not respond to the scammer — no replies, no negotiations, no payment. Every new contact is evidence, and our monitoring tiers are designed to capture and log it.

You receive 30 days of post-engagement email support at no additional charge — for report clarifications, attorney questions, or guidance on law enforcement submissions. If the threat resurfaces afterward, re-engagement is available on request. See the full process breakdown.