Teachers across the UK have been sent an unprecedented alert about so-called sextortion scams targeting pupils.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) issued the warning on Monday, highlighting the ‘devastating’ impact the scams can have on young people duped into handing over intimate photos.
Sextortion is blackmail where criminals threaten to release nude or semi-nude photos of someone – either real or fake – unless the victim pays them.
A large proportion of victims were boys aged between 14 and 18.
Nine out of 10 (91%) UK cases dealt with by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) in 2023 concerned male victims, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
Gangs based in some west African countries and South East Asia are targeting young people based overseas, many in the Five Eyes countries – the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
They often pose as another young person, making contact on social media before moving to encrypted messaging apps and encouraging the victim to share intimate images.
The NCA warned that at least three children have ended their lives as a result.
In December, Murray Dowey, 16, from Dunblane, Perthshire, took his own life hours after being targeted in a sextortion blackmail plot with potential links to Nigeria.
Murray’s mum Ros Dowey issued desperate plea to other young victims, urging: ‘Please don’t do what Murray did. Nothing is worth taking your own life. Nothing.
‘No matter how terrified and awful you’re feeling at the moment, that will pass and this can be fixed.’
The gangs in this type of crime are motivated by extorting as much money as possible rather than sexual gratification, the NCA said.
Its child exploitation and online protection (CEOP) education team on Monday issued guidance to teachers about spotting the signs of this type of abuse, supporting young people and encouraging them to seek help.
It also includes guidance for parents and carers on how to talk to children about sextortion and how to support them if they become a victim, with the aim of taking away the stigma.
Advice includes not to pay, to stop communication and block the offender, but to avoid deleting anything that could be used as evidence and to report incidents to the police or CEOP.
James Babbage, the NCA’s director general for threats, said: ‘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.
‘A lot of victims feel responsible but we need them to know this is absolutely not the case; you are not to blame and help and support is available.’
Marie Smith, the NCA’s head of CEOP education, said falling prey to the scams has a devastating impact on the children’s lives and those of their families.
She said of the criminals: ‘They’re extremely malicious, they do not care about that child or that child’s life.
‘This is why it’s an alert more so than part of our broader education programme because of this callousness that we’re seeing, it’s extremely dangerous.’
The criminals work quickly, with some blackmail demands being made within only an hour of first making contact with a young person.
Susie Hargreaves, chief executive of the IWF, said: ‘Sextortion has become a major threat online in the last few years.
‘This alert to schools is an absolutely crucial intervention in stemming this epidemic which has already ruined so many young lives.
‘These criminals are cold-blooded, and do not even care when the shame and fear they inflict drives some children to take their own lives.
‘We want children to know, however, they are not alone, no matter how lonely it feels, that there is a remedy, and a way to take control and fight back.
‘The Report Remove tool we run with Childline is revolutionary and allows you to stop sexual imagery being shared or from going viral online.
‘Please, if you are being targeted this way, reach out. It is not a hopeless situation, and we are here to help you.’
Security minister Tom Tugendhat said sextortion ‘destroys lives’.
‘It is often driven by highly sophisticated organised crime groups who exploit vulnerable people for profit,’ he said.
‘It’s vital that technology companies take responsibility for the safety of their users by implementing stronger safeguards on their platforms.
‘I would urge parents to talk to their children about their use of social media. Even sites that many assume to be safe may pose a risk.’
Richard Collard, associate head of child safety online policy at the NSPCC, said: ‘Children must be supported to spot signs of abuse, but the burden should not be on them to protect themselves from harm online.
‘Tech companies must step up and actively tackle the threat of sexual extortion on their platforms by putting safeguards in place and identifying dangerous behaviour.’
The number of global cases reported to the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children more than doubled from 10,731 in 2022 to 26,718 in 2023.
The full alert for England and Scotland can be downloaded online.
The National Crime Agency’s CEOP Education team aims to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse through its education programme, providing training, resources and information to professionals working with children, young people and their families.
Report Remove, set up by Childline in conjunction with the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and Yoti, is set up to help young people under 18 in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves and remove them from the internet.
Take It Down is another service which can be consulted to help remove online nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit photos and videos taken before you were 18.
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
If you're a young person, or concerned about a young person, you can also contact PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide UK. Their HOPELINK digital support platform is open 24/7, or you can call 0800 068 4141, text 07860039967 or email: pat@papyrus-uk.org between the hours of 9am and midnight.
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