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uk Sexual violence & highly sensitive situations phone camera hacked • microphone hacked • spyware on my phone • stalkerware concerns • someone watching through my camera • someone listening through my mic • intimate content may be recorded • private images taken without consent • nonconsensual intimate images • fear of sextortion • blackmail with intimate photos • partner accessed my phone • suspicious app permissions • strange phone behaviour • unexpected camera indicator • unauthorized account sign-in • i think my phone is compromised • intimate image abuse support

What to do if…
you notice signs your phone camera or mic may have been accessed and you fear intimate content was captured

Short answer

Get to a calmer, private moment, stop using that phone for anything sensitive, and contact specialist support for intimate image abuse so you’re not handling this alone.

Do not do these things

  • Don’t confront the person you suspect right now (it can escalate or prompt them to delete traces or increase threats).
  • Don’t keep using the same phone for intimate chats/calls/photos “to check if it’s still happening”.
  • Don’t pay money or comply with demands if someone threatens to share content (it often leads to more demands).
  • Don’t post about it publicly or message lots of people for advice from the same device (it can increase risk and spread).
  • Don’t hand your phone to the suspected person “to look at” or “fix” it.

What to do now

  1. Create immediate breathing space and privacy. If you feel in immediate danger, go somewhere safer and call 999.
  2. Switch to a safer way to communicate. Use a different device (a trusted friend’s phone, a work phone, or a computer you trust) for support calls/messages. If you must use your phone, keep it to the bare minimum and avoid discussing anything sensitive.
  3. Get specialist, confidential help for intimate image abuse. Contact the Revenge Porn Helpline (UK adults) for practical help and emotional support, including help with takedowns if anything is posted or threatened.
  4. If you think anything might already be online, start removal routes early.
    • Use StopNCII.org (for adults) to help prevent/limit re-uploads of your intimate images across participating platforms.
    • Use Report Harmful Content for support reporting intimate image abuse to platforms.
  5. Stabilise your accounts from a safer device.
    • Change the password to your main email account first (because it controls resets for everything else).
    • Then change passwords for social media, messaging, cloud photo storage, and any account that can access your camera/photos.
    • Turn on two-step verification (prefer an authenticator app rather than SMS if you’re worried about your number being compromised).
    • Review “devices signed in” / “recent activity” and sign out of unknown devices.
  6. Reduce the chance the phone can keep capturing new material.
    • Turn off camera/mic permissions for non-essential apps and remove any app you don’t recognise.
    • Install pending operating system and app updates.
    • If you suspect your mobile number/SIM has been taken over (sudden loss of signal, “SIM changed” messages), contact your mobile network from another phone and ask them to secure your account.
  7. Optional reporting routes (only if you want).
    • If it’s not an emergency but you want police involvement, you can contact police on 101.
    • For cyber crime/fraud reporting in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, you can report via Report Fraud.
    • If you live in Scotland (or the incident happened there), contact Police Scotland on 101 (or 999 in an emergency).
  8. If you may want to report later: avoid deleting messages/emails/threats, and keep any screenshots you already have somewhere safer (for example, emailed to a trusted address you control). Don’t do any deep “evidence collecting” right now—your priority is safety and support.

What can wait

  • You do not need to decide today whether to report to police, pursue legal action, or tell your employer/family.
  • You do not need to “prove” what happened before getting help.
  • You do not need to do a factory reset right this second (that’s often better done calmly, after you’ve secured your accounts and gotten support).

Important reassurance

Feeling panicked, ashamed, or frozen is a common response to a privacy violation—none of that means you did anything wrong. You can take this one step at a time, and you’re allowed to prioritise your safety and dignity over anyone else’s pressure.

Scope note

This is first-steps-only guidance to help you stabilise, reduce further risk, and connect with support. Later steps (device forensics, legal options, longer-term safety planning) are easier and safer once you’ve got support around you.

Important note

This is general information, not legal or medical advice. If you’re in immediate danger call 999. If you were sexually assaulted or coerced offline, you can get confidential medical and practical support through NHS Sexual Assault Referral Centres even if you don’t want to report to police.

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