Sextortion

Sextortion is a form of blackmail where someone threatens to share intimate images or videos of a person unless they pay money or send more images. Criminals often pose as a friendly peer or romantic interest, build trust quickly, and pressure the target to share a photo, then switch to threats. Teenagers, especially teen boys, are frequently targeted by organised criminal groups. Sometimes the images are faked using AI. The key advice: do not pay or send anything more, keep evidence, block and report the account, and tell a trusted adult and the police. For images of under-18s, the free Take It Down service helps remove them from participating platforms. The victim is never to blame.