What should a victim do after receiving threatening emails?

Answer By law4u team

If someone receives threatening emails, they should treat it as a serious cyber offence and take immediate steps to protect themselves and preserve evidence. Immediate actions: Do not reply to the email Replying may escalate threats or confirm your active email. Save all evidence Take screenshots of emails Save full email headers (very important for tracing IP) Do not delete messages Block the sender Block email address, but only after saving evidence Secure your accounts Change email password immediately Enable two-factor authentication Check for unauthorized login activity Report the matter: File complaint on cyber crime portal Call cyber crime helpline 1930 if there is immediate threat or extortion attempt Lodge FIR with cyber crime police station or local police Legal provisions involved: Information Technology Act, 2000 (cyber harassment, intimidation, identity misuse) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (criminal intimidation, extortion, stalking) If threats involve blackmail or money demand: Do not pay money Preserve chats, payment requests, and account details Report immediately to prevent further harm If threats are serious: Police can trace sender using IP address and email logs Cyber forensic teams can identify device and location Court can order seizure and arrest of accused Additional safety steps: Inform trusted family members or employer if necessary Avoid sharing personal details online Tighten privacy settings on social media Conclusion: Threatening emails should be treated as a cybercrime—preserve evidence, secure accounts, and report immediately to police or cyber authorities.

Answer By Ayantika Mondal

Dear Client, If you receive an email with threats in India, the first thing you should do is not engage with the sender at all, but rather preserve the evidence of the threat. You must not delete the email, but rather retain it and obtain all the full message headers from the email, as they will be used by the police to track the location of the originating IP address of the email. Additionally, you should take multiple screenshots showing the email message, and all of the full message headers and all relevant information detailed in those screenshots would be helpful for law enforcement. Once you have preserved a copy of the digital evidence, you are to block the sender of the email and protect your personal security on the internet with two-factor authentication on all sensitive personal or business accounts that you have open. To have a police agency take legal action, you need to file a complaint on the NIC Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or go to your local police station or your local Cyber Cell and file a First Information Report (FIR). The BNSS allows you to file a “Zero FIR” at any police station that you choose, regardless of the police station’s jurisdiction. You should ensure that your complaint indicates the specific sections of laws that apply to your complaint against the offender; e.g. Section 351 of the BNS for Criminal Intimidation, specifically Section 351(4) for an Anonymous Threat. Section 78 of the BNS for Digital Stalking and/or other provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000. I hope this answer helps. If you have any further queries, kindly do not hesitate to contact us. Thankyou