At one in the morning you receive a message from an account you do not know, with a photo of you from an old chat: “Transfer SAR 5,000 before morning or I will send it to your family.” Your first thought is to pay and end it. But a person who takes the first payment rarely stops there, and he still has the photo after the transfer, just as before. You do not have to face this alone, and it is not your fault that your photo reached him.
The answer to your first question: blackmail through phones and the internet is a crime under the Anti-Cyber Crime Law. The basic penalty is up to one year in prison and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, or one of them, and it can reach five years and SAR 3 million if the blackmailer's acts extend to violating the privacy of private life. Your correct step now: do not pay, save the evidence, then report.
Why should you not pay the blackmailer?
Because paying buys you nothing guaranteed. The blackmailer has no way to prove he deleted the photos, and nothing stops him from asking again once he knows you pay. Most importantly, his short deadline is designed to make you act before you think or ask for advice. Take a breath. Do not reply with begging, insults or counter-threats, and do not send him any photo, verification code or new information.
If you have already paid, do not let that stop you from reporting. The transfer receipt and the receiving account number are among the strongest evidence for tracing the offender.
What is the punishment for blackmail in Saudi Arabia?
Paragraph 2 of Article 3 of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law punishes “unlawful access to threaten or blackmail a person to make him do or refrain from an act, even if doing or refraining from that act is lawful”. So it does not help the blackmailer to say that what he demanded is his right, such as money he claims you owe him; what matters is the pressure and the threat. The penalty is up to one year in prison and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, or one of them.
This provision is linked to unlawful access, meaning deliberately accessing a device, account or system that the person is not authorised to access. The law's definition of “computer” includes any fixed or mobile electronic device, so your phone is included (Article 1). If the photos reached the blackmailer because you sent them to him at some point, another provision may apply depending on what he did; the legal classification is for the prosecution and the court:
| What the blackmailer did | Provision | Maximum penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Threat or blackmail combined with unlawful access | Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Article 3(2) | 1 year in prison and SAR 500,000 fine, or one of them |
| Invading private life through misuse of a camera phone | Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Article 3(4) | 1 year in prison and SAR 500,000 fine, or one of them |
| Publishing the photos, defaming you and causing harm | Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Article 3(5) | 1 year in prison and SAR 500,000 fine, or one of them |
| Accessing your account or device to delete, leak, change or republish your private data | Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Article 5(1) | 4 years in prison and SAR 3 million fine, or one of them |
| Producing, preparing, sending or storing material that violates privacy or public morals through the network | Anti-Cyber Crime Law, Article 6(1) | 5 years in prison and SAR 3 million fine, or one of them |
| A threat or demand with a sexual meaning touching the body or honour | Anti-Harassment Law, Articles 1 and 6 | 2 years in prison and SAR 100,000 fine; up to 5 years and SAR 300,000 if the victim is a child or in the other cases listed in Article 6(2) |
Article 8 states that the prison term or fine must be no less than half of its maximum if the crime was committed by an organised gang, the offender abused a public office or his influence, the crime involved misleading or exploiting minors and similar persons, or the offender had previous convictions for similar crimes.
Anyone who incited, helped or agreed with the blackmailer is punished up to the maximum if the crime occurred, and up to half of it if it did not (Article 9). Attempt is punished up to half of the maximum (Article 10). The court may confiscate the devices and tools used and the money obtained from the crime, without prejudice to the rights of people acting in good faith (Article 13). For crimes under Article 6, the judgment may order a summary to be published at the convicted person's expense once it is final.
Different forms of the same blackmail
Blackmail does not always come from someone you know. Sometimes it starts with an anonymous account that sends you an edited or fake photo and claims it will publish it. Sometimes it comes from someone who took over your account and asks for money to return it. Sometimes the demand is that you give up a right or withdraw a complaint, not that you pay money.
The rule in all these forms is the same: the threat to make you do or not do something is what is criminalised, whether the demand is money or something else, and whether or not the blackmailer published anything. If he published, he has added other crimes such as defamation and invasion of private life. If the blackmailer has partners, Article 11 allows the court to exempt any of them who reports to the authorities before the crime is discovered and before harm occurs, or after it is discovered if his report leads to the arrest of the others or seizure of the tools.
What should you save before blocking the blackmailer?
- Screenshot the full chat, with the username, account link and number, not only the display name.
- Save the threat message word for word, the amount or thing demanded, the deadline he set, and the dates of the messages.
- Save the bank account or wallet number he asked you to transfer to, and the receipt of any transfer made.
- If he actually sent the photos to someone, ask that person for a screenshot of what arrived and when.
Do not delete the chat or block the account until you have finished this. Do not post your story with the photos on a public account to ask for help; that widens the circle the blackmailer wants to widen. You will be asked for the evidence in the report, so give it there only.
How do you report blackmail in Saudi Arabia?
The Law of Criminal Procedure requires criminal investigation officers to accept reports and complaints for all crimes (Article 27), so a police station is always available. Many people use official electronic channels such as the Kollona Amn (“We Are All Security”) app; check the report type in the service and keep the report number. If your physical safety is at risk, call emergency services immediately and do not wait to complete the file. Investigation and prosecution of these crimes belong to the Public Prosecution, which Article 15 names by its former title, the Bureau of Investigation and Public Prosecution.
The blackmailer does not have to publish the photos for you to report, and the investigation decides which provision applies depending on how he obtained them. At the same time, change your passwords, turn on two-step verification, review the devices connected to your accounts, and report the account to the platform after saving the evidence.
If the target is a minor, he or she should tell a parent or an adult they trust immediately. Misleading and exploiting minors is an aggravating circumstance under Article 8.
This is general information based on the official Arabic texts of Saudi laws, which prevail over any translation. It is not legal advice for your specific case.
Practical solutions for both sides
If you are being blackmailed:
- Do not pay, do not negotiate, and do not send any new content.
- Save everything before blocking or reporting the account to the platform.
- Report to the competent authority early, even if nothing has been published yet.
- Do not use someone who offers to “hack” the blackmailer and delete the photos for money; this is usually a second scam and an unlawful act.
- Tell someone you trust, because psychological pressure is the blackmailer's main tool.
If you are accused in a blackmail case:
- Stop all contact with the other party immediately; every new message is new evidence.
- Do not delete chats or files; tampering with evidence harms your position.
- If your account was used without your knowledge, collect proof such as login notices and earlier reports.
- If the chats contain context that changes the picture, such as claiming a money debt in the wrong way, keep them complete to give to the investigator.
- You have the right to a lawyer during investigation and trial (Article 4), and the investigator must inform you of the charge at the first interrogation (Article 101), so do not give written statements before you understand them.
If you are being blackmailed now, or were summoned in a similar case, contact us on WhatsApp and we will arrange the first step with you confidentially.
Need advice on your own case?
Every case turns on its own facts and documents. Send us a short summary and we'll arrange a session with a licensed Saudi lawyer who will tell you clearly where you stand.
Frequently asked questions
Should I pay the blackmailer so he leaves me alone?
No. Paying does not guarantee the photos are deleted and is usually followed by a new demand. Report it and keep the receipt of any amount you paid.
Must he publish the photos before I can report?
No. Threats and blackmail are punishable even if nothing is published, for example under Article 3(2) of the Anti-Cyber Crime Law if combined with unlawful access; the classification depends on the facts.
What is the penalty for blackmail with photos in Saudi Arabia?
Up to one year in prison and a fine of up to SAR 500,000, or one of them, under Article 3. It can reach five years and SAR 3 million if the act falls under Article 6, and it is no less than half of the maximum when a minor is misled (Article 8).
What is the penalty for blackmail combined with defamation?
If the blackmailer actually published the photos, defamation and causing harm is a separate crime under Article 3(5) with the same penalty, and he may be held liable for both blackmail and defamation.
I sent him the photos myself. Do I still have rights?
Yes. Sending him the photo does not allow him to threaten you with it. The classification depends on what he did, and it may be invasion of private life, harassment or another crime.
General information, not legal advice. The official Arabic texts of Saudi laws prevail over any translation. Disclaimer