A BBC investigation has discovered sextortion guides for sale online that teach people how to trick and blackmail victims. The guides and training videos show people how to pose as young women online, trick a victim into sending sexually explicit material and then blackmail them. It also describes in detail how to set up untraceable phone numbers, create fake social media profiles and use secure payment methods.
Sextortion is ''a crime that involves adults coercing kids and teens into sending explicit images online,'' according to the FBI. ''After receiving the sexually explicit content from the child, the offender threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces additional explicit material,'' FBI explained.
Cases of such cybercrimes are rapidly rising in the US, UK and Australia, with a major portion driven by a non-organized cybercriminal group in West Africa, mainly Nigeria. Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI), a nonprofit, found cybercriminals used Instagram, Snapchat and Wizz to find and connect with their targets.
On Tuesday, Olamide Shanu, who made 2 million pounds from blackmailing adults and children online appeared in court in London. According to Metro, the 33-year-old Nigerian is accused of being behind an international blackmail scam where he posed as a girl to persuade teenagers to send him sexual photos and videos of themselves. He allegedly then told them he would send the pictures to their family, friends, and media if they did not pay him money. As soon as they pay, the victims face new threats and pressure to keep making payments.
Investigators believe there may be hundreds of victims over three years.
Paul Raffile, an intelligence professional and expert on sextortion, described the phenomenon as a ''massive threat'' to children, especially teenage boys.
“Internet scammers over these past two years have found out that they can get very rich very quickly by scamming an untapped market. And that's teenagers," he said.
He also said that big Tech Companies are not doing enough to stop sextortion. "This crime has exploded on Instagram and Snapchat over these past two years… these platforms need to aggressively go after these criminals," he said.
The crime can be so devastating that it drives some victims to suicide, NCRI Director of Intelligence Alex Goldenberg said. In the UK, two British teenagers are known to have taken their own lives since October 2022 after becoming victims of sextortion.
