The Skype sex scam – a fortune built on shame

And it probably varies by culture too, right? I would definitely be embarrassed if something like this was sent to my relatives and friends, but not €2,000 embarrassed. But I can easily see this being a very big deal in a much more traditional culture.

And now imagine that the victim is gay, and comes from a very conservative, religious culture, and both sides of the video are sent. (Or the victim isn't gay, but their masturbating video is just paired with another man's to make it look like they're gay.) Maybe they come from a culture where this means you're disowned, or worse.

I agree that we shouldn't worry about it, but we don't all have that luxury.

We quickly and discreetly contacted the relative, and let them know what they'd done, and they removed the evidence from Facebook.

On countless occasions I have sent out mass emails that anyone would regard as far less damaging to one's reputation and dignity than a masturbation chat video, not just because of the sexual content, but because they revealed to everyone I knew that I was able to descend into psychosis; and to those who were familiar with such mood disorders that I failed or opted not to prevent myself with medicines to fall into those depths, and accordingly ought not be trusted.

Once I played ball with my shrink and became successfully treated with the right "cocktail" of meds, getting the disease well under control (it's been over a decade since my last manic episode), I found my social life soon fully restored, friends and family and coworkers, and eventually went on to get married have a kid, yada yada, living treated and happily ever after.

People have a short term memories even with things you do that are greatly embarrassing (unless, I suppose, if there's some heinous criminal component). Or some are overly-judgmental and prudish and perhaps not as valuable a friend as you had thought. So, if you screw up either because you had an Anthony Weiner episode or because you went on the Internet while manic, consider that the damage to your life that you're envisioning once your sanity is restored is greatly exaggerated in your mind and that you may successfully live it down.

Just a youtube masturbation link? Two thousand bucks that might turn into fifteen thousand two weeks later? Hell, might as well "get out in front of it" and post the link yourself with a note in the description that you're being blackmailed or extorted and you are posting this yourself in a bid to disarm the criminal so that you can move on with your life more briskly, with a suggestion to those watching not to watch any further and not to combine both your private parts and your face in the same picture or video.

The following few weeks may be a bit awkward but as has been noted in other comments most will pretend it never happened or won't care (perhaps they too know /firsthand/ what it's like to masturbate) or will resume liking you again after a surprisingly short period of time passes. As for being married, you each made vows, divorce is a major schlep, and if in your estimation your marriage is vulnerable to the likes of such an incident, you should work on your marriage before letting your hair down on Facebook and Skype.

As it turns out, those dumb people are sometimes related to us and going through something.

Another thought, should we expect the geniuses of our time to completely exploit us? I mean, they are smarter and superior than the majority of us. Does that give them the right?