If someone threatens to call the police, post intimate photos, or inform your workplace unless you pay up — don’t give them a single cent and don’t delete any records; call the police right away.

32. If someone threatens to call the police, post intimate photos, or inform your workplace unless you pay up — don’t give them a single cent and don’t delete any records; call the police right away.

Cost: There’s no monetary cost. Take screenshots of their account info, chat logs, and payment codes, then head to the nearest police station with your phone. The hardest part is resisting the urge to “pay to make it go away.”

In plain terms: Using threats like “I’ll call the cops” or “I’ll send these photos to your boss” to force you to pay is extortion. Paying even once only invites more demands. If they actually post the photos, that adds another criminal charge. Extortion involving sums between 2,000 and 5,000 yuan carries a maximum sentence of three years; amounts from 30,000 to 100,000 yuan can lead to 3–10 years behind bars.

Benefit: Article 274 of the Criminal Law stipulates that extortion of property — whether a single sizable sum or repeated smaller ones — is punishable by up to three years in prison, detention, or probation, plus a fine. Larger or especially egregious cases incur longer sentences. The Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate further define these thresholds: 2,000–5,000 yuan marks “a relatively large amount”; 30,000–100,000 yuan is “a huge amount”; 300,000–500,000 yuan qualifies as “an especially huge amount.” Article 1032 of the Civil Code protects privacy, while Article 1033 bars any interference with personal peace via calls, texts, or messaging apps.

Evidence grade: A

Sources: National People's Congress (amended in 2020). Criminal Law (Article 274). <https://jtgl.beijing.gov.cn/jgj/jgxx/flfg/fl/11033925/index.html> (Reprinted and consolidated text by Beijing Public Security and Traffic Management Bureau); Supreme People's Court of China, Supreme People's Procuratorate of China (2013). Interpretation on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in Handling Criminal Cases of Extortion (Fa Interpretation [2013] No. 10). <https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/5310.html>; National People’s Congress (2020). Civil Code (Articles 1032, 1033). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202006/t20200602_463888.shtml>; National People's Congress (2020). Civil Code (Article 1195): "The rights holder has the right to notify the network service provider to take deletion, blocking, Necessary measures such as disconnecting the link. The notification should include preliminary evidence of infringement and the true identity information of the right holder. "If necessary measures are not taken in a timely manner, the network user shall be jointly and severally liable for the expanded damage." <https://flk.npc.gov.cn/detail?id=ff808081729d1efe01729d50b5c500bf> (National Laws and Regulations Database); Fujian Provincial Public Security Department (2024). Because of a "hookup" message, I was saddled with a debt of RMB 230,000. <http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202403/t20240307_6410612.htm>; Procuratorate Daily (2018). Unrepentant after being sentenced twice, exposing privacy to threaten netizens (Reprinted from the website of the People's Procuratorate of Gulou District, Xuzhou City). <https://xzgl.jsjc.gov.cn/jianwu/baxiang/201804/t20180409_420934.shtml>; Procuratorate Daily (2022). A man threatened 10 women to have a relationship with them by publishing nude photos, and big data screening "called the police"! (Supreme People's Procuratorate of China website). <https://www.spp.gov.cn/zdgz/202212/t20221212_595435.shtml>

Notes: Exact monetary thresholds vary by province within the limits set by national law. Repeated extortion — even if each sum is modest — also qualifies as a serious offense. Never delete chats, photos, or accounts; doing so destroys crucial evidence. If authorities open an investigation, those records become vital proof on your behalf. Avoid any notion of “installment negotiations” — most online extortion rings operate overseas and employ malware to harvest contacts. Threats to expose someone’s sexual orientation are equally illegal. In one Jiangsu case, a repeat offender demanded 14,500 yuan after arranging a meeting; he was prosecuted despite prior convictions for similar tactics. Using nude images to coerce sexual acts constitutes rape. In Zhejiang, a perpetrator amassed nude photos of ten women and blackmailed them; even when victims never met him, courts still convicted him of attempted rape. Never share intimate images online. Conversely, if you’re the victim seeking compensation, higher amounts do not automatically constitute extortion — see Section 36 for details. Should photos appear online, the Civil Code (Article 1195) entitles you to demand removal from platforms; failure to act promptly can make them jointly liable for ensuing damages. 〔2013〕 〔2013〕