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I submitted my thesis in September. But because of nervousness I wasn’t confident with the way I wrote the result section, though I had researched extensively on it.

I was going through YouTube on October 1st and came across a website. Looking at the website and email, I felt it was legitimate and I decided to ask a question just to clear up a confusion I had.

My intention was not to send anything to them but somehow they convinced me to send my thesis. Then they started blackmailing me by threatening to contact my school, but this doesn’t worry me because I have documented every step of my project and I have evidences. My main concern is that they also threatened to sell my hard work to one of their client.

Is this something I can take legal action on? I have already reported them to National cyber security centre.

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    It is very difficult to understand how they can "blackmail" you. Do you think your degree is at risk? What is your concern?
    – Buffy
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 11:36
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    I am not sure why you're worried. You already submitted your thesis on 9/28. Your school has the record. It's a done deal. How can they steal it ?
    – Nobody
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 11:37
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    Even if they do sell it, what do you think a buyer is going to do with it? Try and submit it as a thesis at another university (nasty, but doesn't directly harm you)? Try and adapt it into papers and get them accepted in journals faster than you can (could be a problem, but relies on the buyer having both a reasonable level of skill and a lot of luck - and even if they do manage it, you can always point after the fact to your thesis submission date for a claim of priority)?
    – user128581
    Commented Oct 24, 2023 at 13:44
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    Your thesis will be published by your university. So all your hard work will be publicly available to the world. These criminals could always sell your published thesis, even without ever having made contact with you. I do not see how their threats would concern you at all.
    – Basil Bourque
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 5:12
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    "My Intention was not to send anything to them but somehow they got me to send my thesis." That is some of the most creative verbal gymnastics to deflect responsibility for your mistake.
    – Servaes
    Commented Oct 25, 2023 at 12:10

3 Answers 3

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Inform your advisor and the department, maybe also the Dean of the school what happened. Don't pay any money to extortionists. Let the authorities deal with it. Your university may have a legal department that can provide assistance.

Keep a watch to see if your work appears elsewhere, though I doubt it will, and inform any publisher of the details if it happens.

Move quickly to get it published if that is your goal.

Perhaps warn YouTube of the issue, though that may be difficult.

And, be more careful online in the future. There are a lot of scammers out there.

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    In addition to that i would suggest blocking all communication with the scammers. OP seems a bit influence-able (sorry but it is what it is from your situation), therefore DO NOT continue any communication with the scammers. Ignore if you can, block if you cannot. Don't give them any more power.
    – user116915
    Commented Oct 26, 2023 at 6:28
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It's worth remembering that in most locales around the world, you owned the copyright to your thesis the moment you recorded it in a durable format (on paper, in an electronic document, etc). Someone else possessing a copy of your thesis does not dilute your rights at all, nor does it grant them any rights at all. If they try to do something with it, you have all the same remedies as you would for any other type of copyrighted work. Keep all your original drafts, data, submission records, etc., then block the scammer and enjoy being done with your thesis.

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Do nothing. Ignore them.

Nobody will buy your thesis from scammers or anyone else. The scammers have no power over you. If you try to take "legal action" it is likely they cannot be found.

Informing your advisor, dean, or anyone else at the university will not achieve anything.

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