
What Is 'Sextortion' – And How Can You Keep Your Children Safe Online?
Children are being blackmailed online using intimate pictures in a disturbing crime known as 'sextortion'.
With cases on the rise, the National Crime Agency has launched a new campaign to raise awareness and help families stay safe. Here's what every parent, grandparent and carer needs to know.
What is 'sextortion'?
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail. Criminals trick victims into sharing sexual images or videos of themselves, and then use those images to threaten, manipulate or extort the person, often demanding money or more explicit material.These crimes are frequently carried out by organised groups abroad, operating from call centres or using paid actors to pose as someone the victim may be romantically interested in.Many victims are coerced into performing sexual acts on webcam, unaware they are being recorded. The footage is then used to blackmail the victim, with threats to share it online or with their family and friends.
Why would a child share intimate images?
It's easy to judge, but not all children are coerced. Many share images because they want to impress, flirt, or feel included.Sometimes they think they're in a trusting relationship. Others may feel peer pressure, or worry about being excluded if they don't join in.Regardless of the reason, a child is never to blame if they are blackmailed online.
How can parents and carers talk about this?
Marc recommends regular, non-judgemental conversations about online behaviour. You don't need to be an expert, just start with stories from the news, or ask what your child thinks.If your child is reluctant to open up, make sure they know what warning signs to look out for:Red Flags for Online BlackmailMoving too fast: Someone quickly forms a close 'connection'.Asking for personal details: Like where they live or go to school.Sending sexual images: Or asking for one in return.Pressure and anxiety: Making them feel scared or guilty."Even if your child doesn't open up straight away, giving them the tools to spot danger could protect them down the line," Marc says.
What should you do if sextortion happens?
Steps to Take if Your Child Is a VictimReassure them - let them know they've done the right thing by telling you — and it's not their fault.Don't respond to threats - stop all communication with the blackmailer.Block the account - on all platforms used by the blackmailer.Keep evidence - save screenshots, messages, or usernames that could help police.Report it:📞 Police, external (101 or 999 in emergencies)🌐 CEOP, external (if the child is under 18)Get images taken down:Use Report Remove, external by Childline and the Internet Watch Foundation for under-18s.
What about adult victims?
A BBC viewer, Jane, emailed to say she received a threatening email claiming to have hacked her webcam while she visited adult websites — something she insists never happened. The sender demanded £1,400 in cryptocurrency.Marc reassures victims that this is a common scam:"Scammers are banking on fear. It's incredibly unlikely that they'll have access to your device or any real evidence. If they did, they wouldn't waste time chasing small sums from ordinary people."While it may feel real, especially when family members are mentioned, it's important not to panic:If You've Been Targeted as an AdultDelete the email – Do not engage or respond.Report the scam – Forward the email to: report@phishing.gov.ukIf you've paid, report it to Police on 101 and contact your bank. Under the new Reimbursement Model, you may be entitled to get your money back.
More Support and Resources
If you or someone you know has been affected by online blackmail or sextortion, help is available:🔗 BBC Action Line – Online Safety🔗 CEOP – Child Exploitation and Online Protection, external🔗 Childline Report Remove, external🔗 National Cyber Security Centre – Report a Scam, external🔗 Resources for children - BBC Teach
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
HMRC failure to notify MPs sooner about £47m phishing scam ‘unacceptable'
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has been warned by a committee of MPs that its failure to report details of a breach affecting around 100,000 taxpayers is 'unacceptable'. The Treasury Committee said it was only alerted to the information when a notification was published on the HMRC website on the same day as a live session. On June 4, it emerged that HMRC had lost £47 million after a phishing scam breached tens of thousands of tax accounts. Senior civil servants at HMRC told the Treasury Committee that 100,000 people have been contacted, or are in the process of being contacted, after their accounts were locked down in what they said was an 'organised crime' incident which started last year. On Tuesday, the committee published a letter from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) stipulating that it had not discussed the phishing incident with HMRC and was not aware of it prior to the hearing on June 4. The committee also published a letter sent via email from its chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier to John-Paul Marks, chief executive, HMRC. The letter said: 'I am alarmed that it was never deemed necessary to inform Parliament about an issue which affected such a vast number of taxpayers and led to the loss of £47 million of public money. 'To discover this information during a session from press reports and without adequate time for the committee to review the information in detail is unacceptable.' The letter said the committee is seeking responses from HMRC as to 'why was Parliament not notified earlier about the loss of £47 million of taxpayers' money, whether through a written ministerial statement and/or public or confidential letters to the Treasury Committee and the Public Accounts Committee?' The committee is also seeking responses over why the update was published on the day of the committee hearing on the work of HMRC and who else in Government was told about the incident and when. It also wants to receive a timeline of how the incident unfolded and find out what measures HMRC has put in place to ensure that such incidents do not happen in future. The letter asked for a reply by June 24 2025. Meanwhile, the letter from Glenn Collins, head of technical and strategic engagement, ACCA, to Dame Meg, dated June 5, said: 'While we regularly engage with HMRC, including earlier in the year about issues relating to agent account access, we have not received any communication from HMRC on the issue of taxpayer account breaches until yesterday. 'We have highlighted to HMRC our frustration that HMRC has not been transparent or timely in its communication over this important issue.'

The National
27 minutes ago
- The National
Scots woman jailed for sharing online videos of 'tortured monkeys'
Natalie Herron, 39, was sentenced to two years and three months at Airdrie Sheriff Court today. She previously pled guilty on Tuesday to charges of distributing and possessing obscene publications between December 2021 and September 2022. The investigation was part of a wider operation with the National Wildlife Crime Unit, which saw Herron arrested on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, following intelligence from the National Crime Agency. This is the first time someone has been sentenced in Scotland for cruelty that took place abroad, making it a landmark case. Officers said this was one of the most horrific cases they had dealt with and the material was like nothing they had seen before. READ MORE: Scottish health board to scrap free nappies for newborns in bid to save £23m Detective sergeant Karen Murray said: 'This was a long and complex investigation which involved a number of organisations including the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) and was the first of its kind in the UK. "Thanks to the work of these organisations Herron will now face the consequences of her actions which led contributed to the cruel torture and immense suffering of a number of innocent animals. "Through dedicated police work, the investigation team was able to show that Herron was watching and distributing this horrific material and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all who worked on it. "This was one of the most disturbing and graphic cases we have worked on and we hope this sentence shows that even though the cruelty took place abroad, that these types of crimes will not be tolerated and we will use all the tools at our disposal to hold people accountable.' Detective inspector Mark Harrison from the National Wildlife Crime Unit added: 'This investigation is truly shocking and unsettling. The people involved are not just motivated by money, this is also about getting some sort of gratification from watching animals being tortured and then sharing those images with others. "It has been well documented in the media recently what impacts these sorts of online images can have on people, especially young people and there are proven links between those involved in animal cruelty and violence towards people, so we take it very seriously "This investigation is part of a larger transnational investigation that the NWCU has been assisting with and the NWCU would like to thank Police Scotland for their hard work and dedication on this case. It shouldn't be underestimated the impact that working on a case like this can have on those involved. "Wildlife crime can occur in many forms and the NWCU will continue to work with partners from across the world to ensure that we have the expertise, resources, and skills to fight this type of crime, however it may occur.' As part of the wider investigation, two women were jailed at Worcester Crown Court in November last year for their part in a global monkey torture ring. One woman, aged 37, was sentenced to two years, and the other, aged 55, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison. Anyone who has any concerns around this type of behaviour is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101.


Telegraph
29 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Police Federation pays £15m to officers hit by cyber attack
The Police Federation has paid out £15 million to 19,000 current and former officers who had their personal details compromised and stolen by cyber criminals. Two huge attacks exposed the home addresses of some officers to hackers six years ago, and in March 2022 the federation admitted liability for unlawfully processing officers' personal details by not having proper protection in place. The attacks sparked panic among rank and file officers who feared their safety had been compromised. The federation has admitted that two recently settled group actions 'have had an enormous impact on the finances and assets of the PFEW (Police Federation of England and Wales) and the organisation could not withstand a further claim of this nature'. Hackers accessed Police Federation systems and encrypted several of its databases during the attacks, making them inaccessible. Now the organisation, which represents 145,000 rank and file officers, has agreed to settle the claim for £15 million, inclusive of legal and insurance costs. It had been claimed that the names, email addresses, National Insurance numbers and ranks of around 120,000 police officers had been exposed. A source said: 'This is a huge settlement. It caused huge concern among rank and file police officers up and down the country.' 'Agreed a settlement' The settlement had been revealed by Monckton Chambers, the law firm. Mukund Krishna, the chief executive officer of the Police Federation, said it was his priority to resolve the two historic action claims that 'hung over the organisation' when he became CEO in July 2023. He added: 'At the end of last year, we agreed a settlement following the employment tribunal ruling against us regarding pension discrimination. 'I am now pleased to say that we have settled the data protection claims brought against PFEW by just under 20,000 members and former members. This claim followed two separate cyber attacks suffered by the federation over six years ago. 'The federation has taken the pragmatic view that settlement of the litigation is in the best interests of both the federation and its members. 'The negotiation of these settlements has required a huge amount of detailed work but will, collectively, provide the federation with much greater financial certainty going forward. This outcome will also allow PFEW to move on and focus all our efforts on transforming the organisation and serving the membership.' A total of £15 million will be paid in stages, which covers all 19,159 claims for damages but also includes legal costs, expenses and the costs of insurance cover.