We allowed the writer to remain anonymous to guard his privacy.—Editor
What will happen to my future when the sun rises?
What will the people around me think when they see my sex video spreading online, passed from phone to phone like I’m nothing more than gossip?
What will be left of my integrity…my dignity…when strangers dissect my body and my life in whispers and comments?
And the worst question of all: How do I survive tomorrow knowing the world will never see me the same way again?
As I type this, I feel my heart pounding in my throat, each breath shallow, my hands trembling so violently I can barely keep them on the keys. Tonight feels like I’m on the edge of a cliff, and I am about to fall. In just two short hours, I became a victim of something I only used to read about: sextortion.
I never thought this could happen to me. I’m careful online. I’m cautious with strangers. I’m sharing my story not for sympathy, but in the hope that it will serve as a warning. If even only one person reads this and avoids falling into the same trap, then speaking out will have been worth it.
It started innocently enough. I met him on a dating app
It started innocently enough. I met him on a dating app. The kind of man you imagine introducing to friends. Good looks. Respectable background. A polite, charming manner that made me feel safe. The kind of person who seemed too genuine to be lying.
He told me he is a Filipino living in Australia, originally from Tarlac. He even gave me a very specific detail: He would be visiting the Philippines on August 20 and wanted to take me out for coffee. I believed him. I wanted to believe him.
Little by little, he built my trust.
First, he asked for my social media account. I gave it without hesitation. He said he couldn’t share his because it was “for family use only.” I brushed it off, thinking nothing of it.
Then he asked for my Telegram. Again, I gave it.
After that, he suggested a video call. He showed his “face” on a video call, claiming he couldn’t talk because family was nearby. It turned out to be a video of another man, not him. It looked real enough to fool me.
Then came the moment that changed everything. He showed me a pre-recorded clip of that same man, pretending it was him. I didn’t scrutinize the video quality. I didn’t doubt him. I trusted him enough to do what he asked next.
He convinced me to show myself. I had no idea that he was secretly recording the call using an app that hides screen recording from the other person.
A few minutes later, my world stopped. He sent me the recording—my recording—and said that unless I paid him P30,000, he would send it to my Facebook friends. To prove he could do it, he sent screenshots of my friends list. He claimed he needed the money for his grandfather’s hospital bills.
I panicked. My heart raced. My mind was spinning. I didn’t have that kind of money, so I begged him to lower it. He refused at first, telling me to “find a way.” After bargaining, the amount went from P30,000 to P8,000, and finally to P5,000.
I thought that would be the end. But after I paid, he said it wasn’t enough. He told me the P5,000 covered only the deletion of the file from his laptop’s main folder and not from the recycle bin. That would cost another P5,000. And since he had saved the video on his phone as well, deleting that would cost me P10,000 more.
Desperate and terrified, I borrowed money from my cousin and a friend. In the end, I paid him P20,000 just to make the threats stop.
After I sent the final payment, he blocked me. His last words were that he never intended to send it to anyone. But the damage was already done—not to my public image, but to my trust, my peace of mind, my sense of safety.
This is what sextortion looks like. It is calculated. It is manipulative. It preys on your fear, your shame, and your desperation to protect yourself.
If you take anything from my story, please remember this:
Never give personal accounts or private contact details to strangers online.
Even “live” video calls can be faked using stolen videos.
Never share intimate images or videos unless you fully know and trust the person.
If you are threatened, stop engaging immediately and go to the authorities.
My next step is to file a police blotter for cybercrime. I don’t know if they can track him, but I have to try. I have only his phone number used in Telegram and his bank account to where I sent the money.
To anyone reading this, if you ever find yourself in this kind of situation, know that you are not alone. You do not have to give in to their demands. And you are not less of a person because someone chose to exploit your trust.
I wish I had learned this lesson without having to pay such a high price. I hope you learn it now, before it’s too late.
