My work colleague is blackmailing me with deep fake images

DEAR DEIDRE: My work colleague is using deep fake images of me to try and con me out of three grand. 

She says if I don’t pay up by the end of the week she’ll email them around the office. I’m at a loss for what to do.

I’m a 30-year-old woman and I work at an insurance company. My colleague is 27 and started working with us nine months ago.

We had barely interacted until the day I received a message from her trying to blackmail me with photos she’d created to look like me having sex. 

I couldn’t believe my eyes. They looked so real and I knew anyone who saw them would believe it. 

I’ve begged her to stop with the nonsense but she keeps demanding that I pay up.

She says that if I don’t get her the money on time, not only will she send them to my colleagues but would have no choice but to create even more.

At this point, I’m all out of options. Even if I wanted to pay her I couldn’t. I don’t have a spare grand, never mind three.

How can I stop her?

DEIDRE SAYS: What this woman is doing is illegal and you should report her to the police or at the very least, your HR department. 

I realise how frightening this must be, but don’t pay her a penny, otherwise, it’s likely she’ll use it as a chance to demand more and more.

You can also seek support from the Revenge Porn Helpline (revengepornhelpline.org.uk, 0845 6000 459).