PROTECT YOUR KIDS
The UK has also seen a rise in this form of scamming in recent years. The number of sextortion cases reported to police in the UK rose by more than 40 per cent between 2020 and 2021, and nine out of ten victims were male. Merseyside Police said there were
530 reports of sextortion between 1 April-31 December 2023, while Police Scotland revealed that boys as young as 13 are increasingly being targeted.
A spokesperson for Police Scotland said, “These criminals do not care about the devastating impact their demands can have on victims. They can be very persuasive in encouraging people to send pictures or videos of themselves, before threatening to send those images to friends or family members if they do not pay.”
While much phishing used to be done over email, the rise of social media has changed how scammers target potential victims. The Met Police warn, “Criminals often target people through dating apps, social media, webcams or pornography sites. They may use a fake identity to befriend you and then threaten to send images to your family and friends.” As with Jordan’s case, while messages appear to come from an individual, it is usually an organised crime gang behind it, targeting thousands of accounts at once. The Met has the following guidance if you are targeted:
⬤ Don’t panic. Help and support is available.
⬤ Don’t pay.
⬤ Save the evidence. Take screenshots, and save messages and images. Collect URL links if the information is being shared online.
⬤ Report it to social media companies, such as Facebook or Instagram, if it happened on these channels.
⬤ Report it to your internet service provider.
⬤ Block all communication with the person targeting you.
⬤ Report it online or by calling 101.