Sending threatening messages

Sending threatening messages is when someone communicates, either online or offline, that they or someone else will:

• kill you

• seriously harm you, which includes raping you or seriously injuring you

• cause you serious financial loss

Whether they intend to do what they’ve threatened or whether you actually feel afraid doesn't matter. It's an offence because they wanted to cause you fear by sending this type of message.

You might not be sure who sent the threatening message or what they intended when they sent it. That doesn’t matter, you can still report it to us and we’ll decide how to follow up on the details you give us.

Sending threatening messages can also be known as ‘death threats’, ‘cyber bullying’, ‘harassment’, or ‘trolling’.

Is it an emergency?

Call 999 now in emergency situations like these:

• there is an immediate danger to life

• someone is using violence or is threatening to be violent
  
  You can report to us, and if it happened online you can also report to the social media company. First, we'll tell you how you can report to us.

Before you report

You don't need to gather 'evidence' like screenshots, text messages, videos or photos before you report to us.

All you need to do when you report is tell us what happened. 

If you can collect any screenshots, text messages, videos or photos, details like these can be useful to us:

If you were online:

• sender's name

• username

• user ID

• which platform, app, social media site, or online space you were using

• when it happened

• details of what was sent, written, or spoken in a voice note or video

If you were offline:

• what was said to you

• any physical evidence, like a letter, written note or a printed image

• where it happened

• when it happened

Ways to report

You can report these crimes online.

Your report will be sent direct to our control room where it will be reviewed by the same team who answer our calls.