When I first wrote about sextortion scams back in 2018, the scheme involved threats based on fake claims: scammers pretending they had compromising videos from hacked webcams, hoping fear would loosen a victim's wallet. As I warned then, the threat has only become more real and more dangerous over time.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), reports of sextortion jumped from 34,000 cases in 2022 to more than 54,000 in 2023, resulting in nearly $65 million in financial losses. Teenage boys are overwhelmingly the primary targets, as criminals view them as easier to manipulate.
These sextortionists were not just phishing for random targets – they're actively befriending teens on social media, pretending to be attractive girls, coaxing them into sharing explicit photos, and then blackmailing them for money. In these cases, even if a victim paid, the threatening demands just escalated.
This week, the FBI announced the results of Operation Artemis, an international crackdown on sextortion rings targeting teenage boys. Working with law enforcement in Nigeria, Canada, and Australia, the FBI arrested 22 individuals in Nigeria who they say were behind thousands of sextortion attacks – scams that have led directly to at least 20 teenage suicides in the U.S. since 2021.
The FBI first linked a surge of financially motivated sextortion cases back to Nigeria in 2023 after sifting through terabytes of communications from the victims. The forensic efforts revealed not just isolated predators, but organized operations – young, tech-savvy Nigerians exploiting widespread poverty to run sextortion as a business model.
In setting up a temporary command post in Lagos, the FBI worked alongside Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Australian Federal Police, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Nigerian authorities proved instrumental – helping to locate and arrest suspects even in remote regions.
The FBI emphasized that financially motivated sextortion now typically happens at frightening speed – sometimes within minutes. An innocent conversation over a gaming app or social media can quickly spiral into extortion, shame, and tragedy.
Read more: How Security Expert Troy Hunt Got Phished—and Why 2FA Didn’t Save Him
Parents are being urged to talk with their children about the risks. It’s critical to make teens understand that they are victims, not perpetrators. Fear of punishment or embarrassment often stops victims from seeking help – sometimes with fatal consequences.
One heartbroken father described his son’s final hours after sextortion threats: “Imagine somebody walking into your home in the middle of the night and shooting your son. Well, this person did something even worse than that. He scared him so bad that he shot himself”.
For those who find themselves targeted, the FBI advises:
- Do not engage further with the predator.
- Save any communications and report them immediately through tips.fbi.gov or by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
- Do not send additional images or payments – it almost never stops the threats.
How Parents Can Help Protect Their Teens
While no prevention method is foolproof, parents can take important steps to help their teens stay safe:
- Start conversations early and often – Normalize discussions about online safety before teens are in risky situations. Make it clear they can come to you without fear of punishment if something goes wrong.
- Explain the tactics – Help teens understand that predators frequently pose as peers and can manipulate conversations to seem friendly and casual at first. Teach them that sharing even non-explicit selfies with strangers can escalate quickly.
- Set boundaries around device use – Consider limiting late-night access to phones and requiring devices to stay out of bedrooms overnight. Predators often strike when supervision is low.
- Review privacy settings together – Ensure social media accounts are set to private, and explain the risks of accepting friend requests or messages from strangers.
- Be clear: It’s never the victim’s fault – Emphasize that if they are targeted, they are not to blame – even if they shared images. Predators count on shame and fear to keep victims silent.
- Model asking for help – Let teens see that reaching out for support is a sign of strength, not weakness. Remind them that nothing online is ever too big or too embarrassing to talk about.
Read more: Google Finally Gives Parents Control Over Kids’ Calls and Texts
As sextortion cases continue to rise, this FBI operation serves as a sobering reminder: this isn’t just an online scam – it’s a real and growing threat with life-altering consequences. The best defense is awareness, empathy, and open communication. Teens need to know they are not alone, and that asking for help is not only safe – it’s essential.
[Image credit: DALL-E]
