Remove romance scam victim content from Reddit

Why this happens on Reddit

• Subreddits operate as semi public communities with low moderation latency. Once a thread surfaces in a default feed it can reach millions of impressions inside an hour, and reposting across subreddits is trivial.
• Romance scam to sextortion pivots are a documented pattern of organized scam operations. The romance phase establishes intimacy and obtains images, then the operation pivots to extortion demands.
• Most romance scam operations are based outside the United States, often in West Africa or Southeast Asia. The FBI maintains active investigations and international cooperation channels for these cases.
• Cross platform spread is the rule, not the exception. Content first appearing on Reddit typically reaches between four and twelve additional platforms within 72 hours through reposts, mirrors, and screenshot redistribution.

The takedown process

What to do, step by step

1. 01
   Document every instance before reporting Capture full page screenshots with the URL bar visible, the posting account handle, and the upload timestamp. The full communication history with the scammer including all platforms used
2. 02
   Run a biometric scan to find every copy across platforms Content first appearing on Reddit rarely stays there. ScanErase indexes 2.4 billion face embeddings across 200 plus platforms and identifies every current hosting location in a single scan, including AI generated derivatives.
3. 03
   Dispatch the takedown notice to Reddit Reddit accepts statutory takedown notices through its dedicated non consensual intimate imagery form and through its DMCA agent. Both routes trigger Reddit's safety review pipeline.
4. 04
   Report to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center File at ic3.gov immediately with full evidence of the scam communications. The FBI maintains active investigations against organized sextortion and romance scam rings and can coordinate with international law enforcement.
5. 05
   Notify Google and Bing for search deindexing Search engine deindexing runs in parallel to platform removal. Even after the original is removed, search engines retain cached thumbnails and snippets for weeks. File NCII removal requests with both Google and Bing alongside the platform notice.
6. 06
   File a police report and preserve the legal record 18 USC 2261A federal cyberstalking statute for the extortion phase provides the federal basis for the takedown. Document every notice sent, every platform response, and every removal confirmation in a single evidence file. ScanErase produces this Verified Removal Package automatically as your case progresses.

Legal context

• Reddit is a covered platform under 47 USC 223a. Reddit's Section 230 protections do not insulate it from the 48 hour removal obligation under the TAKE IT DOWN Act once a compliant notice is filed.
• 18 USC 2261A federal cyberstalking statute for the extortion phase
• 47 USC 223a TAKE IT DOWN Act if any content has been distributed
• Capture the post id, the subreddit name, the username, and the permalink. Reddit deletes posts when the original poster removes them, which destroys the URL but not the cached image. Save the image directly and record the timestamp.