Latest developments on tackling financial sexual extortion
Since WeProtect Global Alliance published resources on financial sextortion in June, significant developments have occurred in the battle against this rapidly escalating threat to children and young people. This crime, which involves threats and intimidation to extort money in exchange for not releasing intimate pictures of the victim-survivor, continues to pose a serious threat worldwide. Here’s a brief overview of the latest data, interventions, and partnerships related to the issue.
New data on financial sexual extortion
Recent data from Childline revealed over 100 cases of financial sexual extortion reported in the last year. A comprehensive study by Thorn and NCMEC, analysing trends in sexual extortion from 15 million CyberTipline reports between 2020 and 2023 uncovered alarming trends. On average, 812 reports of sexual extortion were made weekly, with over two-thirds of these cases being financially motivated. Notably, 47 per cent of these reports had ties to Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire, with additional cases linked to the United States, Philippines, United Kingdom and India. ActiveFence, a safety tech company, reported that their internal data has monitored a 650 per cent increase in financial sexual extortion schemes.
At the time of our last update, we were only beginning to understand the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in facilitating these crimes. Europol’s Internet Organised Crime Threat Assessment (IOCTA) has once again confirmed that AI is being exploited by offenders to produce child sexual abuse material and engage in sexual extortion. The eSafety Commissioner’s office also warned that overseas criminals are using ‘nudify’ apps and face-swapping technologies to manipulate images and conceal their identities during attacks.
“Now they are demanding money from me, and they said if I don’t pay my life will be over.”
A 14-year-old boy while reporting a case of financial sexual extortion to Childline, part of a children’s charity in the United Kingdom
Interventions announced
In response to the growing threat, several tech companies have rolled out new protective measures. In June 2024, Snapchat introduced AI-based detection and reporting tools to detect and report sexual extortion attempts. They’ve also enhanced safety features, such as warning pop-ups for teens receiving messages from unknown users, those who have been blocked or reported by others or are based in a region where the teen’s other contacts are not located.
In August 2024, Meta began testing a ‘nudity protection’ feature for Instagram direct messages, which automatically blurs potential nude images and encourages users to report or block the sender.
Additionally, the UK’s National Crime Agency announced a crackdown on international cybercriminals involved in sexual extortion, with a warning that extradition could be pursued.
Partnerships established
Collaborative efforts are also ramping up. FBI director, Christopher Wray, met Nigeria’s President to discuss partnerships to combat cybercrime. Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission signed a deal in conjunction with the FBI to launch a cybercrime research lab which aims to enhance Nigeria’s capabilities to prevent, detect and prosecute financial crimes.
In India, WeProtect Global Alliance member Social & Media Matters is undertaking research to help understand the scope and extent of sextortion in India, and the policy and laws needed to respond.
Media helps raise public awareness
In July, the Mail on Sunday revealed that more than 1,000 Scots children have been blackmailed in ‘sextortion’ scams run by organised criminal gangs operating overseas.
In the United States, media reported District Judge Stephen R. Clark sentencing a man from Hawaii to 20 years in prison for the sextortion of a 14-year-old Missouri girl and the distribution of explicit images of other minors.
Earlier this year UK media also reported the case of Olamide Shanu, 33, who is accused of making £2,000,000 by threatening to publish explicit images of boys. Shanu, a Nigerian was arrested in the UK last year after an extradition request from the US.
Despite this progress, financial sexual extortion continues to be a major and ongoing threat. For example, detailed written manuals and video guides on how to sexually extort teenagers continue to be available on certain social media platforms.
We need collaborative efforts involving governments, law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, parents and technology companies to effectively address this global threat. Read more in our briefing paper on the issue, and the solutions needed.
If you are an Alliance member working on financial sexual extortion and would like us to feature your work in our newsletter or website, or if you are a media organisation interested in this topic, please contact our Senior Communications and Content Officer, Poppy Reid at poppy@weprotectga.org.
Page last updated on 24th November 2024