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Think my ex partner may have sent me an anonymous email pretending to have seen an explicit recording of me

29 replies

Olliesmum8822 · 13/07/2026 16:02

I’m gutted. There’s two possibilities. Either it’s my ex partner trying to scare me or he has shared a video of me and someone has seen it and emailed me. Have reported the email to the police. They’ve taken an initial report but will follow up for a statement and I don’t know what to do.

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ThirdStorm · 13/07/2026 16:06

What a horrible thing to happen. You have done the right thing in reporting it to police. I hope they catch up with whoever is doing this to you.

TY78910 · 13/07/2026 16:38

Does such a recording exist? Are you sure it’s not just a scam?

CleanShirt · 13/07/2026 16:40

I get loads of emails like this. They're scams.

LadyMacbethssweetArabianhand · 13/07/2026 16:41

Do not reply. It may be a scam but you did the right thing contacting the police

ElderlyDilemmas · 13/07/2026 16:41

There is an email like this that has been doing the rounds for years, it is very unpleasant but a scam and not personal, I have had it several times. I hope it's not your ex.

StormGazing · 13/07/2026 16:44

I hope it’s a scam. I know people can secretly record, I hope this hasn’t happened to you.

KittytheHare · 13/07/2026 16:44

I’ve had this type of email also, and as others have mentioned, it’s a week known scam. Hope this is the case for you. Did the email contain specific details that sounded familiar or was the language generic?

rhodrhi · 13/07/2026 16:47

Have you had emails from his genuine email address before? You can check the IP.

GooseyGee · 13/07/2026 16:48

Its a phishing/sextortion scam. Very common unfortunately.

Olliesmum8822 · 13/07/2026 16:48

This isn’t a generic email that could be sent to anyone. There’s a specific reference in there that could only have originated from me or my ex partner (and it isn’t me) so it’s not a scam/speculative.

adding an edit. One of my ex partner’s friends could also have been aware of the specific reference. But this isn’t a scam/phish

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rollonxmas · 13/07/2026 16:51

Are you on good terms with the ex? Worth contacting them to say police are investigating it?

Olliesmum8822 · 13/07/2026 16:54

He’s blocked me. I asked him about this before he blocked me and told him I’d reported it to the police. He denied all knowledge but also suggested I was overreacting. He’s said he’s blocked me to protect his feelings.

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CliveBixbee · 13/07/2026 17:12

If you hadn't spoken to your ex then I would have tried to style it out -

'Thanks for the heads up, have had a few messages about this now. An obsessive ex and AI aren't a great combination 🙈. Police are hopeful they can do him for harassment with so many reports, if you could tell me who you are that would help massively.'

Might have confused him a bit if he's as thick as he sounds.

But hopefully you won't hear anything more if he's shat himself at the mention of the police.

Olliesmum8822 · 13/07/2026 18:20

I’m honestly hoping, as awful and sad as it is, that’s it him, and not someone else he knows. But what’s horrible is I might never know 1) who sent it, and 2) whether there is a recording that has been shared. I have to decide whether to ask the police to investigate further which could involve sending them to my ex partner. It feels really difficult.

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Olliesmum8822 · 16/07/2026 19:48

Police have emailed the sender and invited me to share any more information I have: only thing I could share would be identity of my ex partner and the friend he may have shared with.

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LadyMacbethssweetArabianhand · 17/07/2026 08:50

Olliesmum8822 · 16/07/2026 19:48

Police have emailed the sender and invited me to share any more information I have: only thing I could share would be identity of my ex partner and the friend he may have shared with.

Do that then

Woodfiresareamazing2 · 17/07/2026 08:59

Olliesmum8822 · 16/07/2026 19:48

Police have emailed the sender and invited me to share any more information I have: only thing I could share would be identity of my ex partner and the friend he may have shared with.

100% I would do this.

It's the only way you'll find out who did it.

And if he did record you without your knowledge, that's a crime, as is sharing it, and threatening you with it, and he deserves to be punished for it.

Olliesmum8822 · 17/07/2026 15:42

Thanks. It’s very simple written down isn’t it?

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Middlemarch123 · 17/07/2026 16:00

Olliesmum8822 · 17/07/2026 15:42

Thanks. It’s very simple written down isn’t it?

Yes, and the reality for you is horrible and I completely understand that, I do think that his blocking you screams guilt, but I’m a cynical person! You need closure and peace of mind lovely, so I think you should pass on the details. At least it will hopefully clarify things. If it’s him, then you can be pleased he’s an ex. Good luck

Woodfiresareamazing2 · 17/07/2026 16:11

Olliesmum8822 · 17/07/2026 15:42

Thanks. It’s very simple written down isn’t it?

It's not a simple thing to live through. It's awful.

My ex wrote really vile emails to friends, neighbours, and a guy that I'd met once for a drink. He's how I first found out what ex had done, because he was kind enough to ring me to tell me.

Ex had hacked into my computer, knew all my passwords, changed my settings on a dating app I was on, and other sites, wrote an anonymous letter to a new mum in our road telling her I was sleeping with her husband, stole money my parents left me (£60k). And on and on...

All horrendous. Police said they couldn't do anything because as he was still my H at the time it would be "difficult to prove anything".

I did get my money back eventually as part of the financial settlement.

Good luck @Olliesmum8822 , it's awful but will be worth it in the end if you can prove he did it and he is prosecuted.

💐

Olliesmum8822 · 17/07/2026 19:28

@Woodfiresareamazing2 I’m sorry you’ve been through all of that.

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Olliesmum8822 · 17/07/2026 19:30

I have an exH too and he was unkind and dishonest in our divorce, to my financial and emotional disadvantage. It’s been painful for DC.
moat recent ex seemed much more reasonable. But something happened that made me suspect he’s being this. And I agree that blocking is suspicious. I don’t have good experiences with the justice system though and honestly I’m scared

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hereforthelolz · 17/07/2026 19:34

Does a video actually exist?

Summerunlover · 17/07/2026 19:44

I get emails like this all the time.

Olliesmum8822 · 17/07/2026 19:57

@summerunloveras in all the time you get emails that refer to something specific and intimate that only you and your partner and one other person might know about? Really? I’m sorry for you as in my experience it’s pretty distressing.

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