Concerns have been raised by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) regarding the growing risk of sextortion by West African and Nigerian criminal gangs targeting British teenage boys. Mostly from Nigeria and Ivory Coast, these gangs use Social Media sites like Instagram and Snapchat to trick victims into sending pornographic photos by pretending to be young ladies. Following acquisition, they utilise these photos to blackmail individuals by threatening to reveal the photos to their friends, family, and classmates and requesting money.
According to senior NCA official Marie Smith, the situation is troubling because victims have included adults as young as thirty, some of whom have tragically committed suicide. Nigerian authorities and the NCA are working together to combat these crimes and prosecute those responsible. Director of Threat Leadership at the NCA, Alex Murray, stressed the terrible effects of sextortion and the significance of teaching young males to identify and report such threats. To empower victims and take away the advantage of criminals, a campaign has been started. 380 sextortion cases were reported to the NCA in 2024 alone, according to reports.
Sextortion has a dramatic psychological impact on its victims.
The seriousness of such crimes is further demonstrated by a case involving two Nigerian siblings, the Ogoshi brothers, who blackmailed a victim into committing suicide in the United States. In the past few years, there has been a notable increase in sextortion, a type of internet blackmail in which offenders threaten to expose their victims if they do not provide explicit content or money. Financial sextortion reports to the National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) increased significantly from 10,731 in 2022 to 26,718 in 2023 alone. Likewise, sextortion incidents rose from 593 in 2020 to 1,124 in 2021, with 88% of victims being men, according to the UK’s Revenge Porn Helpline.
This increasing tendency emphasises how common this crime is becoming, impacting people of all ages and geographical locations. Sextortion has a dramatic psychological impact on its victims, frequently resulting in extreme mental pain, anxiety, sadness, and, in the worst situations, suicide. “Sextortion is an online blackmail Scam that specifically targets minors, causing significant stress and humiliation that can escalate to suicide,” says Professor Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar of Purdue University’s Polytechnic Institute. Victims may feel isolated and reluctant to seek help due to their extreme embarrassment and fear of being exposed.
It is advised that victims seek assistance from reliable people.
Experts in cybersecurity caution against granting the demands of the criminals because paying the Ransom frequently results in more extortion attempts. Rather, it is advised that victims seek assistance from reliable people or organisations and report incidents to the appropriate authorities. Open Communication, Privacy Settings, Critical Awareness, and Education are some proactive steps that parents and youth can take to reduce the likelihood of becoming victims of sextortion. Nigerian authorities have stepped up their efforts to tackle cybercrimes such as sextortion. Arrests and prosecutions have been substantial as a result of partnerships with foreign law enforcement organisations.
In 2024, for example, two Nigerian brothers were given a sentence of 17.5 years in a U.S. jail for their role in a sextortion operation that led to a kid in Michigan killing himself. These examples highlight the legal repercussions for offenders as well as the dedication of Nigerian authorities to combating these offences. Additionally, educational initiatives and public awareness campaigns are being carried out to educate the public about the risks of sextortion and encourage safe online conduct. Governments, law enforcement, educational institutions, parents, and internet corporations must work together to address the growing issue of sextortion.
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Among the most important steps are education and awareness campaigns to help youth identify and report sextortion, international collaboration to train law enforcement worldwide, technological interventions to identify and stop sextortion, Legislation to impose harsher penalties, thorough data collection and research, and the active participation of children and youth in prevention initiatives. Communities can better safeguard people against the risks of sextortion and guarantee that victims get the assistance and resources they need to recover from such traumatic events by putting these tactics into practice and creating a supportive atmosphere.