Online blackmail is a crime in Oman punishable by one to three years in prison and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Omani rials, rising to as much as ten years in serious cases, under the Cybercrime Law issued by Royal Decree 61/2026. Said Ibrahim Ambusaidi Advocates and Legal Consultations (SIA) in Muscat explains what to do, and how we handle these cases in full confidence.

If you are being blackmailed right now, start from this: you are the victim of a crime someone else committed, the law is on your side, and the authorities in Oman deal with these reports every day, discreetly.

What is the penalty for online blackmail in Oman?

The offence is governed by the Cybercrime Law issued by Royal Decree 61/2026, which replaced the previous law of 2011, Royal Decree 12/2011. It punishes anyone who uses a website, an information system, or any information technology means to threaten or blackmail a person into doing something or refraining from doing something, even if that act is itself lawful. The base penalty is imprisonment of one to three years and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Omani rials.

The penalty is aggravated when the threat involves committing a felony, or concerns matters touching a person’s honour or reputation. In those cases the punishment rises to imprisonment of three to ten years and a fine of 3,000 to 10,000 Omani rials. Most blackmail cases involving private photos or conversations fall under this aggravated form.

What should you do immediately if you are being blackmailed?

Do	Do not
Preserve all evidence: screenshots of the conversations, account links, phone numbers, receipts of any transfers	Do not pay anything. Paying does not end blackmail, it proves the pressure works and the demands grow
Stop replying to the blackmailer once the evidence is saved	Do not delete the conversations or the account. Deleting destroys the evidence investigators need
Report to the Royal Oman Police without delay	Do not send any further photos or information, whatever the threat
Ask someone you trust, or a lawyer, to stand with you through the process	Do not face this alone out of shame. Silence is exactly what the blackmailer is counting on

How do you report it to the authorities?

The Royal Oman Police operates a dedicated line for reporting and asking about cyber fraud and blackmail on 80077444. You can also go to the nearest police station to file a report, after which the case is referred to the competent investigation authorities, including the Public Prosecution. These bodies treat blackmail reports confidentially, and reporting early improves the chances of tracing the blackmailer and stopping them before anything is published.

If the blackmailer is outside Oman, which is common in these cases, reporting still matters. International police cooperation exists, and documenting the incident early protects your rights in every scenario.

Key facts

Online blackmail is a crime in Oman under the Cybercrime Law, Royal Decree 61/2026.
The base penalty is one to three years in prison and a fine of 1,000 to 3,000 Omani rials.
The penalty rises to three to ten years in prison where the threat involves a felony or matters touching honour or reputation.
A threat is a crime even if the act demanded from the victim is lawful in itself.
The Royal Oman Police line for reporting cyber fraud and blackmail is 80077444.
Paying the blackmailer does not end the blackmail, and deleting conversations destroys the evidence.

When to involve a lawyer

Involve a lawyer when you want someone to carry the file for you from start to finish: organizing the evidence and drafting the report before it is filed, accompanying you before the police and investigators, following the case as it proceeds, and claiming civil compensation for the harm you suffered. You also need one when the case is complicated, for example when the blackmailer is abroad, fake accounts were used, or the incident is tangled with a work or family relationship.

At Said Ibrahim Ambusaidi Advocates and Legal Consultations we handle cybercrime cases in complete confidence and without judgment. Our job is to protect you, not to question your choices. We review the evidence, draft the report, and represent you before the investigation authorities and the courts across Oman. The first consultation is free by phone or WhatsApp on +968 9706 3030, and if calling feels difficult, a short WhatsApp message is enough to start. We are based in Al Khoudh, Seeb, Muscat, and work Sunday to Thursday, 9:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 17:00, in Arabic and English.

This article is general legal information, not legal advice.