ALL schools across Wales have received a stark alert following a concerning rise in ‘sextortion scams’ targeting teenagers, with reports indicating that the number of victims has doubled in just a year. This alarming trend has tragically led to cases where young people have taken their own lives after falling victim to these scams, prompting an unprecedented warning from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The NCA has been emphasising the “devastating” impact of these scams, particularly affecting young boys who are deceived into sharing compromising images and subsequently blackmailed into paying substantial sums of money.
According to the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, reported global cases more than doubled from 10,731 in 2022 to 26,718 in 2023, with a significant proportion involving boys aged between 14 and 18.
The NCA highlighted that in 91% of UK cases handled by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in 2023, the victims were male. The criminal operations are said to be based in certain West African and South East Asian countries, targeting young individuals abroad, including those in the Five Eyes nations – the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
The modus operandi typically involves gang members posing as peers on social media, progressing to encrypted messaging platforms to coax victims into sharing intimate images. Shockingly, some victims receive blackmail demands within an hour of initial contact.
Contrary to sexual motives, the NCA disclosed that these criminal gangs are primarily driven by extortion for monetary gain. In an interview with the BBC, one gang member admitted to sustaining a living from these crimes.
The NCA’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) education team has issued guidelines for teachers on identifying signs of such abuse, supporting at-risk youth, and promoting help-seeking behaviour. They have also provided advice for parents and carers on discussing sextortion with children and assisting them if victimised, aiming to reduce associated stigma.
Recommendations include refraining from payment, ceasing communication, blocking offenders, preserving potential evidence, and reporting incidents to the police or CEOP.
James Babbage, the NCA’s director general for threats, expressed, “Sextortion causes immeasurable stress and anguish, and we know there are adults and young people who have devastatingly taken their own lives as a result.” He assured victims that they are not at fault and encouraged seeking assistance.
Marie Smith, head of CEOP education at the NCA, condemned the callousness of the criminals, stating, “They do not care about that child or that child’s life.” This alert underscores the urgent need to address the growing danger posed by these malicious schemes.
