Sextortion scam targets teens

Editorial: Danielle Ford

A 14-year-old boy, Jack*, is messaged by a woman named Sandra Kate on Instagram and begins engaging in general conversation.

After a bit of casual back and forth, the conversation turns sexual, and Sandra Kate encourages Jack to move the chat to another platform so they can exchange explicit images.

After receiving a nude image of Sandra Kate, he sends back an intimate image, unaware the person he is communicating with isn’t really Sandra Kate.

Now with this intimate image, the person posing as ‘Sandra Kate’ responds with a threat: transfer $300 to a nominated bank account or the image will be sent to his entire social network.

When he doesn’t respond, ‘Sandra Kate’ escalates her threats by sending screenshots of the list of Jack’s friends she says she will send the image to if the money isn’t paid.

It’s a distressing situation this young boy finds himself in, but unfortunately he’s far from alone in getting tangled in this web of lies.

Detectives from the Victorian Joint Anti Child Exploitation Team (JACET) – which is comprised of both Victoria Police and Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigators – say more than 700 incidents that may be linked to this type of offending were reported in the six months to the end of last year.

Commonly referred to as ‘sextortion’, these offences generally involve offenders coercing children, particularly teenage males, into producing explicit images before extorting them for money, gift cards or cryptocurrency.

“This is really a serious and concerning trend that we’re seeing globally at the moment,” JACET Detective Acting Inspector Carla McIntyre said.

Police are urging parents and children across the state to openly discuss online safety.

“If you are a parent, aunty, uncle, grandparent or someone a young person trusts – please have the brave conversation with them about their online safety and this type of offending,” Det A/Insp McIntyre said.

“Let them know they can talk to you and that if this does happen to them, it is not their fault, and it is absolutely nothing to feel embarrassed about.

“There is a wide range of useful information available to help people understand sextortion so they are aware of the warning signs, can keep themselves safe and know what to do if they experience it.”

The advice for anyone targeted by sextortion is to not make any payments and instead make a report to authorities as well as the social media platform the contact was made on.

“We believe these matters are under-reported, which can be for a range of reasons, including fear or embarrassment, and sometimes feeling unsure if an offence has occurred or if they will be believed,” Det A/Insp McIntyre said.

“In Jack’s case, he didn’t initially report to police or even tell his family due to embarrassment.

“When he did eventually report it, police were able to provide support, reassurance and referral advice to help him manage the situation.”

Sextortion offences can be reported online through either the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) if the victim is under 18, or through government cyber security website ReportCyber if the victim is an adult.

However, Det A/Insp McIntyre said people are also encouraged to report any offences directly to police.

“Victoria Police is committed to investigating these matters and holding offenders to account, so if you, your child, or anyone you know is subject to any type of concerning behaviour like this online, we would urge you to contact police and discuss the circumstances with us,” Det A/Insp McIntyre said.

“Anyone who contacts us will be supported and treated with respect, courtesy and dignity.”

*Not his real name

What is sextortion?

Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where someone tricks or coerces you into sending your sexual images then threatens to share them unless their demands are met.

DO

Stop the chat, take screenshots of the text and profile, block the account and report it to the platform, make a report and get support.

DON'T

Send more images, pay or send gift cards, respond to demands, enter into further communication or think you’re alone.

For more information and access to tools, resources and advice, visit esafety.gov. au or cyber.gov.au/acsc/report

Source: AFP and ACCCE