If an online threat suggests someone may be in immediate physical danger, contact your local emergency service first. Do not postpone that call while you build a file of screenshots. When it is safe, keep the original message, record the sender and account details, save the page URL, note dates and times, and report through both the platform and the authority that covers your location and the type of threat.
You can ask for help before you have collected everything. Police.uk says, “You don’t need to gather ‘evidence’ like screenshots, text messages, videos or photos before you report to us.” That statement applies to the UK reporting route described by Police.uk, not automatically to every country, platform or legal process.
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Start with safety, not screenshots
Threatening messages range from abusive language to a credible warning of violence, stalking, extortion or terrorism. The wording on a screen cannot by itself tell you how imminent the danger is. Treat a threat as urgent when it identifies a person, place or time, refers to a weapon or planned attack, shows knowledge of someone’s movements, or is accompanied by conduct that makes you fear immediate harm.
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If the threat is not an emergency, you can still report it promptly. You do not need to wait for the sender to repeat it, for a platform moderator to respond, or for every possible screenshot to be collected.
Can you report an online threat without evidence?
Yes, at least for the UK reporting routes cited here. Police.uk expressly says that screenshots, text messages, videos and photos are not prerequisites for making a report. The UK government’s terrorism-content reporting guidance similarly says evidence is not required, although screenshots and links can help authorities understand what was posted.
That is a statement about those UK services, not a universal rule about every police force, regulator, court or website. A US or Australian agency may ask for particular details, and a platform may have its own fields and retention rules. If you are worried, report first and explain what you have. Tell the recipient that more material may be available later.
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Do not delay an emergency call because you are concerned that an incomplete report will be rejected. A clear description of what happened, who appears to be at risk, where the sender can be found, and why you believe the threat is serious is more useful than waiting for a perfect evidence package.
What to preserve from a threatening message
Preserve the source material in the form in which you received it. The FBI’s guidance for electronic threats says not to delete the message and to leave it open on the device. It suggests printing, photographing or copying information such as the subject line, date, time and sender. A printer is optional; a careful photograph or copy can serve the same record-keeping purpose.
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For online abuse, the Australian eSafety Commissioner recommends recording enough information to identify both the content and the account behind it. Build the record while it is still visible:
- Original message or post: Keep the message, email or chat in the original account. Do not reply merely to create a longer record.
- Sender information: Record the displayed name, username, email address, phone number, profile URL and any account identifier shown by the service.
- Platform and location: Name the service and copy the direct URL to the post, message, profile or page. A home-page link is less useful than the address of the specific item.
- Date and time: Note when you received or saw the material and the time zone if it is known. If a post shows a separate publication time, record that too.
- Context: Keep enough of the surrounding conversation to show what came before and after the threat. Record whether the sender contacted you repeatedly, used more than one account or referred to an earlier incident.
- Frequency and pattern: Make a short incident log when contact continues. A single post may have a different significance when it is part of repeated calls, messages or visits.
- Impact and safety concerns: Note facts that help explain the effect: a change of routine, fear of going home, missed work, contact with family, or a reason you believe the sender knows where you are. Keep the description factual.
Do not crop away the account name, URL, timestamps or surrounding text from your only copy. If you need a shorter image for a report form, keep an uncropped original separately.
Should you screenshot an online threat before reporting it?
A screenshot can preserve what was visible at a particular moment, including the message, account name and interface. It is helpful, but it is not the whole record. Content can be edited or deleted, and an image may omit the URL or the conversation that gives it meaning.
Capture the screen without altering the original
- Open the message or post in the account where you received it.
- Include the sender or profile name, the relevant text, visible date or time, and enough surrounding conversation to establish context.
- Take a second capture of the profile or page showing the username and profile URL if the first image does not include them.
- Copy the direct URL into your incident log. Check that it opens the specific item, not just the platform’s front page.
- Save the original capture without drawing on it, adding labels, cropping or applying filters. If you annotate a working copy, keep the untouched file as well.
Some apps notify another person when a screenshot or screen recording is taken. If triggering a notification could increase the risk, consider photographing the screen with another device instead. Do not open a conversation, profile or attachment if doing so would expose you to immediate danger or reveal your location.
When a screenshot is unsafe or inappropriate
eSafety advises that you should not save sexual images or videos of anyone under 18. Police.uk also says that if you are unsure whether everyone shown in an intimate image is 18 or older, do not screenshot, record or share it, including with police. Do not forward the file to yourself, a friend, a reporter or a second device. Contact police or the relevant child-protection or specialist reporting service and follow its instructions for preserving the material without copying it.
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This age-related rule applies even when the image is being used to threaten, blackmail or shame someone. Preserve non-image information—such as the sender’s account, the message text, dates and the URL—only in a way that does not reproduce the sexual material, and ask the receiving authority what it wants you to do next.
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A safe reporting sequence
The order below works for most non-emergency online threats. Change the order whenever an immediate safety risk requires an emergency call first.
- Address immediate danger. Call your local emergency service if someone may be at risk now. Give the location of the person at risk, the nature of the threat, the sender’s identity or location if known, and any immediate details such as a stated time or weapon.
- Preserve what is safe to preserve. Keep the original message open where practical. Record the sender, account, platform, direct URL, dates, times and relevant context. Do not wait for a complete file before asking for help.
- Use the platform’s current reporting tool. Report the specific message, post, account or profile through the service’s in-app or web process. Menus change, so follow the labels currently shown rather than an old screenshot or a remembered path. Select the category that most closely matches threats, violence, harassment, exploitation or another applicable violation. Save the confirmation page or email if one is provided.
- Contact the appropriate authority. Choose the police, cybercrime service, fraud service or other reporting body that covers the location and conduct. For a UK threat, Police.uk provides online reporting and other options. For a US threat, the FBI says to notify law enforcement; an ongoing threat to life can be reported through tips.fbi.gov or a local FBI field office. Use the equivalent local route elsewhere rather than assuming a US or UK process applies.
- Keep your own submission log. Write down the date, time, service or office, the account used, what you submitted and any confirmation or reference number. This is an organizational practice, not a universal legal requirement; the cited guidance does not establish that every authority issues a case number.
When a form limits the amount of text, state the essential facts first: what was threatened, who made the threat, when and where it appeared, why you believe it is credible or urgent, and whether anyone is in immediate danger. Mention that you have additional captures or URLs and ask how to provide them securely.
Should you report to the platform, the police, or both?
Platform and law-enforcement reports serve different purposes. A platform can act on a service-rule violation, restrict an account or preserve information under its own procedures. Police or another authority can assess threats, protect people and investigate conduct under local law. One route does not replace the other when the conduct may be criminal or someone’s safety is at risk.
| Situation | First action | Additional action |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate danger or a threat of violence | Call the local emergency service. | Preserve the message if safe and report the account or content to the platform. |
| Credible electronic threat without immediate danger | Notify local law enforcement promptly. | Use the platform’s threat-reporting process and retain the submission details. |
| Repeated harassment or stalking through an account | Start an incident timeline and report the conduct to the relevant authority. | Report each active account or post to the platform; include the pattern and URLs. |
| Threats involving intimate images or demands for money | Stop engaging and contact police or the appropriate specialist service. | Report the content and account to the platform without circulating image links. |
| Possible sexual imagery involving someone under 18 | Do not capture, save or share the image; contact police or the designated child-protection route. | Follow the authority’s instructions for identifying the account and location without reproducing the material. |
A platform’s decision to remove a post does not determine whether a threat was unlawful. Conversely, a police report does not guarantee that a platform will remove content immediately. Make both reports when both kinds of intervention are needed.
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How to organize a clear incident record
A short, chronological record helps a recipient understand a sequence without searching through dozens of files. Use one row per event and keep the wording factual.
| Date and time | Service and account | What occurred | File or URL | Action taken |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 October 2026, 14:10 UTC | Messaging service; displayed sender name and username | Received a message stating that the sender would come to a named location. | Original message retained; direct conversation URL recorded. | Emergency service or police contacted; platform report submitted. |
The row above is a format example, not a claim about a particular incident. Use your actual dates, times and identifiers. Give files stable names that do not change the content, such as the date, service and sequence number. Keep an untouched copy of each capture and the original message where the service permits. Limit access to people who need it, especially when the record contains personal or intimate information.
If you are reporting on behalf of someone else, identify that relationship and say how the person at risk can be contacted safely. If the sender may monitor the account or device, use a safer device or ask an authority how to submit material without alerting the sender.
Special procedure for sextortion and intimate-image threats
UK Report Fraud advises victims of sextortion not to delete potentially useful evidence such as messages, images or bank details. It also advises collecting URLs when intimate images have been shared, reporting to both police and the platform, and not sharing those links with anyone else. Its guidance says to stop communicating with the extortionist; paying does not guarantee that the threats will stop.
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- Keep the messages, account details, payment requests and relevant transaction or bank information. Do not delete the conversation merely because the sender says it will make the threat disappear.
- Record the URLs and account identifiers without forwarding links to friends, groups or public forums.
- Report the account and content through the platform’s current process, and contact police or the specialist service for your jurisdiction.
- If any image may depict someone under 18, do not save, screenshot or share it. Tell the authority that the material exists and follow its instructions.
If a payment has already been made, contact the relevant bank or payment provider as well as police and preserve confirmation details. Do not treat a payment as proof that the sender will stop, and do not send more money solely to obtain deletion.
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What to say in a report
Use plain language and separate what you saw from what you infer. A useful report answers these questions:
- What exact words, image, demand or conduct caused concern?
- Who sent or posted it, and what account, phone number, email address or profile URL identifies that person?
- Which service hosted it, and what is the direct URL?
- When did you receive or see it, including the time zone when known?
- Is the threat aimed at you or someone else, and where is that person now?
- Why might the sender be able to carry it out—for example, do they know an address, schedule or workplace?
- Has the sender contacted you repeatedly, used multiple accounts or made previous threats?
- What steps have you already taken, and how can an authority contact you safely?
Attach or upload only what the receiving service requests. Do not add private details about unrelated people, and do not post the evidence publicly to seek validation. Public circulation can expose victims, alert a sender that a report is underway, or spread illegal intimate material.
When a post disappears or the account changes
Report what you have even if the sender deletes the post. A saved URL, username, profile address, date and time, and a description of the missing content can help an authority locate related records. Tell the platform that the item is no longer visible and provide the account identifiers shown in your captures.
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Jurisdiction, changing procedures and legal limits
Emergency numbers, reporting forms, platform menus and legal rules differ by country and can change. The official guidance summarized here was accessed on 9 October 2026 and comes from the FBI, Police.uk, GOV.UK, the Australian eSafety Commissioner and UK Report Fraud. Their practical advice should not be read as a universal statement about admissibility, evidence handling or chain-of-custody requirements.
| Location or source | Guidance relevant to this process | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom — Police.uk | Call 999 for immediate danger to life or threatened violence; report online or through other listed options; evidence is not required before making the report. | These instructions describe UK reporting routes and do not set the emergency number or evidence rule elsewhere. |
| United Kingdom — GOV.UK terrorism-content reporting | Evidence is not required, although screenshots and links may help. | Use the route for the type of content and situation described on the government page. |
| United States — FBI | Notify law enforcement about electronic threats. Ongoing threats to life can be reported through tips.fbi.gov or a local field office. | Local police and other US agencies may have additional procedures; choose the agency that covers the incident. |
| Australia — eSafety Commissioner | Record the platform, URL, usernames, profile URLs, dates, times, frequency, context and impact; take care with screenshot safety and under-18 sexual imagery. | The advice is practical safety guidance, not a universal legal test for evidence. |
| United Kingdom — Report Fraud | For sextortion, retain messages, images and bank details; collect shared-image URLs without sharing them; report to police and the platform; stop communicating. | This is UK sextortion guidance. People elsewhere should use their local police and specialist support. |
If you are considering a civil claim, protection order or other legal action, consult a lawyer, legal service or police in your jurisdiction about how to preserve and transfer records. An authority may have secure-upload instructions that are safer than ordinary email.
Quick Recap
Common mistakes and safer alternatives
- Waiting for perfect evidence: Report the danger first and add material later.
- Deleting the original: Keep the message or post available where safe; preserve a copy before taking actions that might remove it.
- Saving only a cropped image: Capture the account, timestamp, surrounding context and direct URL.
- Editing the only copy: Keep an untouched original and make any annotations on a duplicate.
- Confronting or baiting the sender: Stop engaging when continued contact could increase risk, especially in sextortion.
- Forwarding intimate-image links: Do not circulate them, and never capture sexual imagery that may involve someone under 18.
- Assuming platform action is enough: Report to law enforcement or another authority when the conduct may threaten safety or break the law.
- Using the wrong country’s process: Confirm the emergency number and reporting body for the location where the danger or conduct occurs.
- Publishing the evidence: Share it only through the platform or authority’s reporting channel and with people who need it for safety.
A compact checklist
- Is anyone in immediate danger? If yes, call the local emergency service now.
- Can you safely keep the original message or post open?
- Have you recorded the sender, username, profile URL, platform, direct content URL, date, time and time zone?
- Does your capture show enough context, and have you kept an untouched copy?
- Could a screenshot notify the sender or expose you to additional risk?
- Could any intimate image depict someone under 18? If unsure, do not capture or share it.
- Have you reported the specific content or account through the platform?
- Have you contacted the police or other authority responsible for your location and the type of threat?
- Have you logged submission times, confirmations and any safe follow-up method?
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