Independent charity Crimestoppers has launched a campaign in the East Midlands to raise awareness of the crime and dangers of sextortion. The campaign is supported and part-funded by the Midlands Fraud Forum, a non-profit organisation that supports counter-fraud efforts in the Midlands.
Sextortion, also known as ‘financially motivated sexual extortion’, is a developing threat and a relatively new form of online blackmail. It is where criminals threaten to share explicit images or videos of a victim to the victim’s contacts and on social media if money isn’t paid, or if the victim fails to comply with a demand. The image may be a real photo taken by the victim or a fake image that the criminal has created to pursue blackmail.
Criminals target people through dating apps, social media, webcams or pornography sites. They may use a fake ID to befriend the victim online and build trust, before requesting sexual images or videos.
Sextortion is different to revenge porn, as sextortion is not normally motivated by revenge but by the chance of financial gain.
Whilst the criminals behind sextortion can operate alone, there have been examples where serious organised crime gangs are involved. There’s evidence that, at worst, entire contact centres are being run abroad with the aim of profiteering from sextortion.
Crimestoppers’ advice to victims of sextortion is: Don’t panic. Don’t pay. Get help. Report it.
Lydia Patsalides, Crimestoppers East Midlands Regional Manager, said: “Sextortion attempts can happen very quickly and can have a devastating impact on victims, causing severe distress, embarrassment, intimidation and fear. Given the intimate nature of the photos and videos, victims are often too embarrassed to come forward and report what is happening. In some extreme cases victims have even taken their own lives.
“Anyone who suspects that someone they know is involved in sextortion should phone our anonymous helpline and report it. The call will be not be traced so no-one will be able to find out that you called.”
Crimestoppers further advises those worried about sextortion to:
Review their privacy settings on social media so that criminals cannot see their personal information and who their friends and family are.
Quickly end chats that make them feel uncomfortable.
Report concerns to the police by phoning 101.
Under-18s can contact Child Exploitation and Online Protection
Those who suspect someone they know of committing sextortion should contact Crimestoppers anonymously.
Information can be given 100% anonymously to Crimestoppers, which is independent from law enforcement, in over 150 different languages, 365 days of the year, 24/7, by calling the UK-based Contact Centre on 0800 555 111, or by completing a safe and secure online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org. In an emergency, always call 999.
Please note: Computer IP addresses are never traced and no-one will ever know you contacted Crimestoppers. For telephone calls, there is no caller line display, no 1471 facility and calls have never been traced.
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