Sextortion

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What is sextortion?

Sextortion can happen to anyone, although the most common scenario is typically when scammers target teenagers to build a relationship to share explicit photos. Those involved believe they are talking or exchanging content with a person their own age. But after receiving the explicit materials, the offenders may threaten to publicly expose the images or videos to the victim's friends and family or online, and will demand payment to stop this.

Signs this may be a scam

Requesting to chat in a different messaging platform.

The scammer will try and convince you to quickly move the conversation to another messaging app, such as WhatsApp. If there are photos of the person you're chatting to, use TinEye or Google to perform a reverse image search.

Expressing their feelings for you quickly.

They declare their affection for you in a relatively short span of time after the initial meeting, a tactic referred to as ‘love bombing’. Additionally, they may urge you to keep the relationship secret from family and friends.

Avoiding video calls.

They always have an excuse not to go on a video call. Even when they agree to it, it’s of poor quality or there’s no video at all because they claim they have ‘technical issues’. If they've given you their full name, search the internet to look for reports on scam sites.

Applying pressure and asking for intimate photos.

They pretend to be an attractive person looking for sex, and pressure you into sending nudes, sexual images or videos, or record you during a live chat with them. Once they get these images, they threaten to expose you to friends and family unless you give them what they want.

Example 1

Emma, a Year 11 student, loved online gaming and spent a lot of her free time in gaming forums, often meeting with new likeminded people. She connected with someone named "Chris" through a game she regularly played, and they quickly bonded over their shared interest in similar games.

After months of chatting, Chris and Emma had built a trusting romantic relationship, eventually exchanging photos of themselves. At the time, Emma felt the pictures she sent were suggestive but not explicit.

Once Chris received the photos, he changed his tone. He sent Emma a message threatening to share the pictures with her friends and family unless she sent him money. Emma was horrified. She had never intended for any of her photos to be used this way. Chris demanded a sum of $2,000 to keep the photos private, threatening that if she didn’t comply, he would send the pictures to her social media contacts and ruin her reputation.

Emma's family had talked about this type of scam after being in the media recently, and she felt comfortable to approach them and explain the situation.

Example 2

Tom joined a dating site and quickly connected with a woman named "Lily", who seemed to be a perfect match. They exchanged messages for several weeks, sharing personal details and talking about their lives. Lily sent him flattering messages and made Tom feel special.

One evening, Lily suggested they take their conversation to a more private platform, like a messaging app. Over time, their chats became more flirtatious, and Lily sent Tom explicit photos of herself. She told him she was very comfortable sharing her intimate side with him and encouraged him to do the same.

Feeling the pressure, Tom sent a few intimate photos of himself. Soon after, Lily turned the conversation into a demand. She claimed to have saved all of their private chats and photos and said she would send everything to his friends, family, and even his workplace unless he sent her a large sum of money. Lily initially demanded $5,000, but when Tom hesitated, she raised the amount, threatening to expose him if he didn’t comply.

Tom was devastated, not only by the situation but also by the realisation that he had been manipulated. He eventually reported the incident to the police, but the scammer was never found, and Tom lost his savings.

What you can do if you
come across a scam

How to report

Collect evidence of the activity. You can find out more at www.esafety.gov.au/report/how-to-collect-evidence
If you are under 18, report it to the Australian Centre To Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) at www.accce.gov.au
Report it to the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) at cyber.gov.au/report
If you've made a payment to a scammer, report it to us immediately.

Helping a loved one

Stay calm
Assist them to collect evidence
Block and report the scammer across all social media and messaging apps
Provide reassurance that it is not their fault
Assist the young person to report the activity with their bank and government authorities.

Remember: Emotional distress is amplified by feelings of shame for anyone caught up in this type of scam. Avoid using blame as this will only heighten the emotions of those involved.

Get support and stay in the know

IDCARE provides free, confidential support and guidance to those impacted by fraud, scams, identity theft or compromise. Call them toll-free on 1800 595 160 or visit idcare.org
Keep up to date on scams by subscribing to the government's scam email alerts from scamwatch.gov.au/subscribe
Check out the latest scams that are targeting customers at westpac.com.au/scams.

Things you should know

This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your personal objectives, circumstances and needs into account. You should consider the appropriateness of the information to your own circumstances and, if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.