Help. Fiverr Designer Threatening To Black Mail Me

Topic summary

A shop owner hired a Fiverr designer who fraudulently sold them an unlicensed third-party theme. After the theme developer and Shopify refused support, Fiverr issued a refund and suspended the designer for violating terms of service.

Current threat:
The designer is now sending blackmail messages demanding ransom, threatening to:

  • Blacklist and blackball the store
  • Take unspecified harmful actions against the site

Actions taken:

  • Changed passwords and revoked designer’s store access
  • Reported threatening messages to Fiverr
  • Currently seeking legitimate designer for new shop setup

Key concern:
Despite being a scammer, the designer appears to have technical skills. The shop owner is uncertain about actual risk level and what damage the designer could realistically inflict if ransom isn’t paid.

Summarized with AI on November 11. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.

Its a really long story, but I found a designer on Fiverr to design my shop. Turns out he sold me a old unlicened 3rd party theme. The theme developer wouldn’t help me and Shopify wouldnt help me other than to tell me to report him and that I cannot use the theme on Shopify. I reached out to Fiverr. They granted my refund and let me know the designer had violated the Fiverr’s Terms & Service on (designers side) and had to suspend their activity on Fiverr.

SO now I am searching for someone to help me create a new shop on a proper theme etc.

BUT I just got threatening messages from the designer saying that they are going to blackball and black list my store etc etc. I changed my password and removed his access to my store once I knew I wasnt going to work with him anymore, but what kind of risk am I actually in? He has technical skills even if he is a scammer.

I don’t want to be black mailed. What kind of things can he actually do to me/my site? if I dont pay the ransom. I have sent the threatening messages to Fiverr.