iMessage and iCloud photo threat: how to handle fake hack claims
Take a breath. This happens to a lot of people, it isn't your fault, and there are concrete steps that help.
Take a breath: this happens to a lot of people, it isn't your fault, and there are steps that help.
Don't pay, and don't send anything
Paying almost never ends it. It tells them you'll pay again. You don't need to upload anything to get help.
“I installed Pegasus zero-day exploit on your iPhone. I recorded you watching adult videos through your front camera. Pay $1,400 in Bitcoin or I send it to all your contacts.”
What to do now
Relax — you were not recorded
Screenshot the messages and usernames, not the images. Don't save or forward any explicit photo. If they cannot provide an actual photograph or video clip of you, they have nothing. It is an automated script.
Change the leaked password on any accounts still using it
If you still use the password quoted in the email on any active service, change it immediately and enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA).
Compare against known mass-spam extortion templates
Search the email text on public threat databases (like the FTC spam database or HaveIBeenPwned) to verify it is an automated mass campaign.
Mark as junk or phishing and delete
Do not reply to the message. Mark it as spam in your mail client and delete it.
Emergency reporting and removal resources
Free, confidential crisis counselor, 24/7
Blocks sharing on participating platforms. Images stay on your device.
Free NCMEC service to remove images of minors.
Official federal cybercrime complaint center.
Write a DMCA notice for web hosts that won't remove the content.
Frequently asked questions
How did they know my password if they didn’t hack my phone?
They obtained your old password from a data breach of an online service you registered for years ago. You can check which breaches exposed your email on HaveIBeenPwned.com.
Could my phone camera record me without me knowing?
No. Modern mobile operating systems display a visible green privacy indicator in the status bar whenever any app accesses camera hardware.