Latest news with #HuntingMySextortionScammer
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Loose Women's Coleen Nolan shares horrendous sextortion attempt that left her 'panicked'
Loose Women stars Nadia Sawalha and Coleen Nolan has opened up about the "anxiety" they felt when they received sextortion emails that claimed to have access to intimate videos of them. Speaking on Loose Women today, Nadia shared how she had received an email with the opening line, "hello pervert", which then attempted to blackmail her over alleged videos. "It said, 'We have all the videos of you having a happy time - giving yourself some alone time.' And I thought, 'I don't think I have any videos of that.' But then I went to fear again because then with deep fake, could there be?" she said. "I felt anxious. I'm a 60-year-old woman who's listened to countless podcasts about this, I know the information, I've read stuff about it, I've read terrifying stories about children killing themselves." She added: "Because I had all that information, by the time I got to the end of the email, I simply deleted the email because I knew that this was simply a phishing expedition." Coleen Nolan added that she had also received the same email and feared that someone had hacked into her phone. "Reading down, it said, 'We've got all your videos and what you've done.' I was just like, 'Please can you send them to me, I'd be interested in seeing them as I've never made one in my life.' "But it was horrendous," she added, while Nadia said: "You do feel panicked, don't you?" Coleen continued: "I knew I hadn't done the videos but had they hacked into my phone? Were they going to lie on that? They said they were going to send it to my family and my work and kids. It did click in and then I deleted it." The panel discussed the rise in sextortion after the release of Channel 4's documentary Hunting My Sextortion Scammer. The one-off film sees Rizzle Kick's star Jordan Stephens fly over 4,000 miles to confront a Nigerian sextortion scammer. In the documentary, Jordan looks into how teenage boys are being impacted by social media sextortion - where scammers trick young men into sending nude pictures of themselves before financially blackmailing them. 'Obviously I knew about scamming before but I was learning [about sextortion] in real time,' Jordan said of the investigation. 'To learn that boys are taking their own lives was heartbreaking and devastating. 'It's boys not understanding the consequences or risks of engaging online but with that panic, they can go from a normal life to not a life within half an hour and that is really scary.'
Daily Mirror
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Rizzle Kicks star lifts lid on growing crime that's 'devastating' teenage boys
Rizzle Kicks star and Jade Thirlwall's partner Jordan Stephens has opened up about filming his new sextortion documentary for Channel 4 - revealing the 'heartbreaking' real victims Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens hasn't shied away from danger for his first-ever documentary - flying over 4,000 miles to confront a Nigerian sextortion scammer. The 33-year-old explores just how teenage boys are being impacted by social media sextortion, with scammers tricking young men into sending nude pictures of themselves before financially blackmailing them. In Channel 4 's Hunting My Sextortion Scammer, Jordan allows himself to be sextorted by a scammer over social media before using cutting-edge technology to locate and track down the faceless criminal alongside a security detail. Despite entering hazardous situations to interview those behind these crimes, Jordan found looking into the victims' stories even harder. 'Obviously I knew about scamming before but I was learning [about sextortion] in real time,' Jordan says of the investigation. 'To learn that boys are taking their own lives was heartbreaking and devastating. 'It's boys not understanding the consequences or risks of engaging online but with that panic, they can go from a normal life to not a life within half an hour and that is really scary.' The documentary speaks to the brothers of 15-year-old Murray Dowie, who killed himself after being blackmailed in a sextortion scam. The Dunblane student was catfished by a scammer posing to be a girl his age, who tricked him into sending intimate photos before threatening to make them public. 'He was just like every other teenager and then one day he was dead,' Murray's older brother Ryan, 19, says in the documentary. 'He never liked being the centre of attention. The fear for him, the panic was that he would have been the centre of attention. That must have just been awful for him. 'There is someone responsible for the death of my brother but I have absolutely no clue who. It's a faceless crime.' In a bid to raise awareness of the issue and bring at least one scammer to justice, Jordan - who is the boyfriend of singer Jade Thirlwall - set up several fake social media accounts in the hopes of being targeted by a sextorter. With many sextortion scammers asking for payment in gift cards, Channel 4 enlisted the help of a web developer to create a site that would locate a scammer when they tried to redeem the fake gift card. Attracting a sextorters turned out to be easy, but coaxing them into allowing the gift card site to use their location data proved to be much harder. When one criminal finally took the bait, the scam was interrupted by Instagram instead. 'Not only did he not accept it initially but his account was shut down in the middle of the extortion,' Jordan says. 'His account was disabled in the middle of the exchange. We thought, 'We were so close!'' However, the same sextorter made a new account and popped back up to continue to con, having been given an AI-generated selfie and the nude pictures of a consenting life art model by Jordan. This time, he began shouting abuse at Jordan over the phone, threatening to ruin his life if he didn't send the gift card. 'I literally had to coach him into accepting the revealing of his own location. That tech has not been shown before on TV.' Finally, a location pin came through via the website - showing the sextorter to be in Erunmu, a small village in Nigeria. The African state has become a hotspot for sextortion plots in recent years, with Meta shutting down 63,000 accounts connected to the crime just last year. 'It's difficult to wrap your head around the fact that that can all be occurring in this rural space and that one piece of technology with the potential to ruin a life that was 6,000 miles away,' Jordan says. With this new information, Jordan boarded a plane to Lagos to track down his sextorter, but not before he was met by his own security team and local cybercrime investigator Priye. 'We have very high rates of kidnap around,' he tells Jordan in the documentary. 'Always watch your back.' Jordan admits that he was sufficiently warned of the dangers ahead of flying - and was even told not to tell friends that he was travelling to Lagos. 'The security detail put a ridiculous amount of fear into me before the trip - there are dangers of course in most countries, especially one with that level of wealth inequality, but you have to use your common sense,' he says. 'They were just sending me really extreme news stories. I even bought a burner phone.' After sending Priye on a reconnaissance mission to identify their conman, they found their man - a barber in the village with a similar voice and the same username that was used to sextort Jordan. The Rizzle Kicks star confronted him over FaceTime after his security detail decided that it was too dangerous to do so in person. 'It was quite surreal. I'm 90 percent sure it was the guy. He was running his business and trying to get a little extra on the side,' Jordan says. 'Suddenly he couldn't speak English, suddenly he didn't understand the name or the number.' For those in countries like Nigeria where the exchange rate is weak, sextortion crimes can prove to be lucrative. In the documentary, Jordan interviews young Nigerian criminals who can pay a year of their rent just by blackmailing a Brit for £200. 'We spoke to some boys who didn't want to think about the consequences. One boy mentioned not having any support - he's 17. So you have 17-year-old boys extorting 15-year-old boys to try to survive,' Jordan says. 'It's the equivalent of a 15-year-old boy in the UK scamming someone and getting £35,000 if you were to change that exchange rate. That's why it's happening so often. As the rate of sextortion cases on the rise in the Britain, Jordan hopes that the documentary will send an important message to young boys and parents. 'The realistic thing is as a teenage boy, you're going to make mistakes. Another thing I want to change is the general conversation around sex when we're younger and understanding our bodies and our feelings. ' 'So if it's happened, it's just removing that sense of shame. Instead of that panic, you can 100 percent speak to a person and you can get past it.' He adds, 'The preventative measure is don't respond to any messages from anybody that you don't know in person. There should be more stringent measures on how you even get an account on social media, in my opinion.'
Metro
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
British popstar hunts down his 'sextortion' blackmailer in shocking new show
Rizzle Kicks star Jordan Stephens is travelling to Nigeria to track down his 'sextortion' blackmailer in a new Channel 4 documentary. The popstar, 33, wants to confront the sex scammer 'face-to-face' for the hard-hitting show with the working title Hunting My Sextortion Scammer. For the purposes of the film, Jordan also gets himself 'sextorted', which is a form of online blackmail in which criminals threaten to release sexual images, videos, or personal information of victims unless they pay money or comply with other demands, according to the Metropolitan Police. It comes after the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which finds and helps remove abuse imagery online, said in its annual data and insights report published in April that under-18s are now facing a crisis of sexual exploitation, including sextortion, online. Hunting My Sextortion Scammer is part of Channel 4's Untold documentary strand, which is back with a new season that includes an investigation into dating apps, fronted by Love Island star Chloe Burrows. The 29-year-old will investigate why young people are ditching the dating apps and ask whether the key to romantic connections is meeting in person. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Chloe will road test a variety of real-world dates and question experts on concerns about dating apps, from gamification to artificial intelligence. Also announced as part the documentary strand are The Secrets Of TikTok Shop (working title) and Confessions Of A Prison Officer about police corruption (working title), a follow-up to The Secrets Of UK Prisons. Janine Thomas, commissioning editor for Untold, said: 'Untold continues to be a fearless voice for young audiences, tackling taboo topics, lifting the lid on hidden subcultures, and giving voice to those who are often unheard. 'This season of ambitious and exciting documentaries promises to inform, provoke and spark vital conversation.' This year, Jordan also revived Rizzle Kicks with bandmate Harley Alexander-Sule after nine years away from recording. They parted ways in 2015 after personal battles including substance abuse, having had a string of hits from records Roaring 20s, which came out in 2013 and debut album Stereo Typical in 2011. Reflecting on their time away from Rizzle Kicks, Harley previously told Metro: 'During that time we just got really close; we were always close but we became much closer friends, I guess. It wasn't like a specific conversation or a moment when we decided to make a new album, we just, I think we were just enjoying each other's company and then ended up in the studio again together. 'We said to ourselves that if the vibes weren't there and the music wasn't great, we weren't gonna force it and try and push it. Fortunately, we noticed straight away something good was happening.' Outside of music and documentary work, Jordan has also pursued acting, with his credits including E4 drama series Glue, Mae Martin's Netflix sitcom Feel Good and Rose Matafeo's BBC romcom Starstruck. Earlier this year, he revealed he turned down an offer to appear in a Star Wars show after being asked to cut off his dreadlocks. In 2016 he played Corporal Stordan Tonc in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which starred Felicity Jones, Diego Luna and Ben Mendelsohn. Jordan has said he was asked to reprise his role in the series Andor, a prequel to Rogue One, but he rejected the offer after being asked to cut his dreadlocks off. More Trending He said on TikTok: 'A week before the shoot, they were like, 'Can we see what you look like?'. I sent them a picture and they were like, 'Can you cut off your dreadlocks?',' he recalled. 'This is what they asked me to do, for one scene. Obviously that's ridiculous. That's like six years of hair growth, I'm not cutting it off for one scene.' Jordan has also appeared on non-scripted shows such as Drink History, Let's Play Darts, Virtually Famous and Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls. View More » Hunting My Sextortion Scammer will be available to stream on Channel 4 from June 25. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Major Hollyoaks legend to return ahead of 30th anniversary MORE: Virgin Island star defends Channel 4's controversial show after heavy backlash MORE: Virgin Island latest episode branded as 'most awkward thing' viewers have ever seen on TV
Rhyl Journal
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Rhyl Journal
Jordan Stephens gets ‘sextorted' for Channel 4 film about sexual blackmail
The film is part of the broadcaster's Untold documentary strand, which is back with a new season that includes an investigation into dating apps, fronted by Love Island star Chloe Burrows. For the purpose of the film, Stephens gets himself 'sextorted', which is a form of online blackmail in which criminals threaten to release sexual images, videos, or personal information of victims unless they pay money or comply with other demands, according to the Metropolitan Police. Stephens, 33, will travel to the streets of Nigeria to track down his blackmailer in an attempt to confront them face-to-face. It comes after the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which finds and helps remove abuse imagery online, said in its annual data and insights report – published in April – that under-18s are now facing a crisis of sexual exploitation, including sextortion, online. The documentary, with the working title Hunting My Sextortion Scammer, will be available to stream from June 25. Elsewhere, reality star Burrows will investigate why young people are ditching the dating apps and ask whether the key to romantic connections is meeting in-person. The 29-year-old will road test a variety of real-world dates and question experts on concerns about dating apps, from gamification to artificial intelligence (AI). The programme, which has the working title Chloe Burrows: 28 Dates Later, will be available to stream from June 4. Also announced is a documentary about the world of TikTok Shop, which is an e-commerce feature of the social media platform. The Secrets Of TikTok Shop (working title) will be available to stream from June 11. The final documentary announced is a follow-up to The Secrets Of UK Prisons, working title Confessions Of A Prison Officer, which will focus on prison officer corruption and become available to stream from June 18. Janine Thomas, commissioning editor for Untold, said: 'Untold continues to be a fearless voice for young audiences, tackling taboo topics, lifting the lid on hidden subcultures, and giving voice to those who are often unheard. 'This season of ambitious and exciting documentaries promises to inform, provoke and spark vital conversation.' This season of Untold will available to stream on Channel 4 and then on the broadcaster's YouTube channel. The channel has also announced the commission of a new series, working title The Court, which promises to take viewers inside the civil justice system. Set in a former courthouse, the series will follow the stories of members of the public from across the UK who have chosen to fast track their cases through a televised, alternative court.
South Wales Guardian
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Jordan Stephens gets ‘sextorted' for Channel 4 film about sexual blackmail
The film is part of the broadcaster's Untold documentary strand, which is back with a new season that includes an investigation into dating apps, fronted by Love Island star Chloe Burrows. For the purpose of the film, Stephens gets himself 'sextorted', which is a form of online blackmail in which criminals threaten to release sexual images, videos, or personal information of victims unless they pay money or comply with other demands, according to the Metropolitan Police. Stephens, 33, will travel to the streets of Nigeria to track down his blackmailer in an attempt to confront them face-to-face. It comes after the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which finds and helps remove abuse imagery online, said in its annual data and insights report – published in April – that under-18s are now facing a crisis of sexual exploitation, including sextortion, online. The documentary, with the working title Hunting My Sextortion Scammer, will be available to stream from June 25. Elsewhere, reality star Burrows will investigate why young people are ditching the dating apps and ask whether the key to romantic connections is meeting in-person. The 29-year-old will road test a variety of real-world dates and question experts on concerns about dating apps, from gamification to artificial intelligence (AI). The programme, which has the working title Chloe Burrows: 28 Dates Later, will be available to stream from June 4. Also announced is a documentary about the world of TikTok Shop, which is an e-commerce feature of the social media platform. The Secrets Of TikTok Shop (working title) will be available to stream from June 11. The final documentary announced is a follow-up to The Secrets Of UK Prisons, working title Confessions Of A Prison Officer, which will focus on prison officer corruption and become available to stream from June 18. Janine Thomas, commissioning editor for Untold, said: 'Untold continues to be a fearless voice for young audiences, tackling taboo topics, lifting the lid on hidden subcultures, and giving voice to those who are often unheard. 'This season of ambitious and exciting documentaries promises to inform, provoke and spark vital conversation.' This season of Untold will available to stream on Channel 4 and then on the broadcaster's YouTube channel. The channel has also announced the commission of a new series, working title The Court, which promises to take viewers inside the civil justice system. Set in a former courthouse, the series will follow the stories of members of the public from across the UK who have chosen to fast track their cases through a televised, alternative court.
