By KnowBe4
Published July 15, 2024
Cases of criminals using fake or stolen photos on social media to flirt with teens and then luring them into sharing intimate photos, by often first sharing a fake nude picture of themselves, are on the increase around the world.
Known as sextortion, this is “a sinister tactic that coerces victims into sharing explicit images or videos by preying on their vulnerabilities and exploiting their trust,” explains Anna Collard of KnowBe4 AFRICA. “The perpetrators often masquerade as peers or love interests online, only to turn around and threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim complies with their demands for more images, sexual acts or monetary payments.”
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Highlighting the urgency of the issue, Internet Watch Foundation received more reports involving sextortion in the first six months of 2023 than the entire previous year—a staggering increase of 257%. According to their findings, boys are disproportionately more at risk than girls.
While the modus operandi of sextortion criminals involves the exchange of sexual images, their ultimate aim is money.
“Financially motivated sexual extortion is usually carried out by organised crime groups who are 100% motivated by money,” states Collard. “These groups target all ages and genders. However, a large proportion of cases have involved boys aged 14 to 18.”
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Operating from various corners of the globe, these criminal syndicates employ systematic and calculated approaches to identify and exploit multiple victims simultaneously.
“One prime example is the ‘Yahoo Boys’, a group of West African cybercriminals responsible for the dramatic increase of sextortion targeting minors,” Collard says.
Both girls and boys are falling prey to sexploitation, although girls are more often targeted for nude images of themselves, while boys are blackmailed for money.
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“What is so disturbing is that these criminals have such a deep understanding of adolescent psychology,” says Collard.
Teenagers are particularly vulnerable due to the amount of time they spend on social media platforms, particularly Instagram.
“Many teens are not fully aware of the risks and tactics used in online exploitation. Criminals make them feel ashamed that they’ve done something wrong, whereas they are the victims,” according to Collard. “Teens are often seeking validation and may be more susceptible to flattery and manipulation such as love-bombing which should be an immediate red flag,” asserts Collard. “Also, their cognitive and decision-making skills are still developing, which can lead to poor judgement in risky situations.”
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What can be done about this problem?
“Open and honest conversations about cyber-safety and the risks associated with sharing personal information and images online should be encouraged between parents and their children,” Collard recommends. “Cultivating a strong, trusting relationship with teens is crucial so that they feel comfortable and safe sharing their problems with you.”
She says that “Teens should be cautious about who they interact with and use strong privacy settings on their social media accounts.”
Collard says Meta, the company that owns Instagram, “should make teens’ follower and following lists private by default,” she asserts. “On Facebook, users have the option to keep their friends lists private, but this crucial privacy safeguard is glaringly absent for teens on Instagram.”
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