Police warn of rise in 'sextortion' cases involving young victims

5:57 pm on 30 September 2022

Mohammad Alafeshat , reporter

Finn Blackwell, Reporter

cropped shot of woman on couch using smartphone with ios apps on screen

Police say more New Zealand young people are being targeted in extortion attempts via social media. Photo: 123rf

Police are warning of increasing incidents of extortion where young people are targeted on social media by overseas offenders.

Known as sextortion, it is when someone threatens to distribute private and sensitive material if a ransom is not paid.

Detective Senior Sergeant Jodie Lyons said offenders target young victims by tricking them into sending sexually explicit content.

"This is a global issue where offshore offenders target young victims by tricking them into sending sexually explicit content before blackmailing them with threats to share the content with friends and family unless they pay," Lyons said.

"We are shining a light on this serious issue to ensure New Zealand young people, their parents and caregivers are aware of the risks and remain vigilant to ensure it does not happen to them."

Sextortion cases were first seen in this country late last year and the number of victims continues to rise.

The offending generally begins with a direct message sent to the victim on social media.

The victim is then asked to continue chatting on a different app, and the conversation often becomes highly sexualised.

In some instances, photos are reportedly manipulated by the offender to make the victim appear to be in even more compromising positions.

Offenders can also capture naked or sexual images of the young person while they are on live stream or video, which is often then part of extortion.

This is called 'capping'.

Lyons said police are looking at sextortion from an international law enforcement perspective.

"There are various countries - that I can't go into at the moment because it's an ongoing investigation."

The best protection for a victim was to come forward and seek specialist support from the police, as soon as possible, she said.

"What we know is that what is being reported is not giving us a picture of the totality of the problem".

Police would not criticise or blame the victims, she said. "What has happened is not your fault and we are here to help you."

Sexual harm experts are also urging people to be cautious with sensitive photos online.

Rape Prevention Education executive director Debbi Tohill said young people needed to think of the risks.

There were examples of nudes being sent consensually between people ending up on the internet, she said.

Victoria University criminologist Jan Jordan said it was not just young people who were being targeted.

"It's assumed that there is an increased risk because of age and vulnerability. I think we also need to be careful not to always assume that youth brings with it automatic risk, and that old-age brings automatic invincibility," she said.

The focus needed to be firmly on those committing these offences, as well as making potential victims aware of the risks, Jordan said.

Police have provided the following information:

How to spot this offending:

Meeting on one app, then being encouraged to continue a conversation on a different platform could be an indicator.
Inconsistencies with a profile or language, and there might be signs that English is a second language.
Introduction of sexualised conversations.
The other person may say that their webcam or microphone is not working for video calls/chats, in order to avoid giving their true identity.

For victims:

Avoid sending any more images or videos - even if they are threatening you.
Remember - once you have complied with their demands there is nothing preventing them targeting you again.
Save all the online chat, immediately take screenshots.

This is important for making a report to the police, we need all the evidence that you can gather.

Block the profile.
Report the content to the platform (eg Facebook, Snapchat, PornHub) it is on and request the content is removed.
Make a report to Police (via 105) or Netsafe to find out what other options are available to you.

For parents and caregivers:

Supervision is essential. This means knowing what your children are doing online, who they are interacting with and what platforms, apps or games they are using.
Have open conversations, often. The most important tip we can give any parent or carer is to start talking to your child about their online activities.
Check privacy settings. We recommend parents and carers research and understand app settings, including privacy settings. This could include turning off location settings, setting profiles to private, or turning off chat functions.
Be approachable if your child needs help. Coming forward isn't always easy, and children may feel reluctant to tell you about online issues if they believe they will be punished or have their devices taken away. They must know that it is okay to speak to you or any other trusted adult if something doesn't feel right.
Long term impact. Offenders will often use tactics such as fear or shame to manipulate young people, and make them feel alienated or trapped, like they cannot escape the situation. These situations can be very distressing and can have long term-impacts, and need to be addressed appropriately. Your child is a victim of online child sexual exploitation, and they need your support.
Report suspicious behaviour. Seek help and support, and report inappropriate or suspicious behaviour online.