In recent years, the rise of international cybercrime led by organised crime groups has raised increasing concern for international governments across the globe. One form of cybercrime, known as "financial sextortion," has resulted in individuals being blackmailed into transferring money, often cryptocurrency, to prevent the release of sexually explicit material, both artificially created or actual imagery, of the victims.
What is Sextortion?
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail in which criminals threaten to share sexual images, videos, or information to coerce victims into making payments. This practice, referred to as "financial sextortion," is often carried out by organised crime groups based in West Africa and South East Asia. These criminals may claim to possess sexually explicit material, sometimes fabricated using artificial intelligence (known as "deepfakes") or may obtain such content by deceiving victims into sharing such images. Typically, perpetrators pose as friends or romantic interests and initiate contact through social media platforms, dating websites and apps, or email, using fake identities to build trust.
Dem etri Bezaintes is an Associate based in the London office within the Financial Services and Crypto Litigation Department, commented, "the perpetrators of these scams depend on their victims being embarrassed to come forward and make a complaint. This, in turn, allows the scammers to be able to target others."
Taylor Talley, a researcher of online child exploitation patterns and their effects in the United States commented, "sextortion is a fairly new crime with lifelong implications on its victims, not only due to financial harm, but the irreversible sharing of the victims' images online." Taylor further commented, "victims often feel helpless as law enforcement have struggled to prevent and punish these perpetrators, who avoid the legal consequences."
Common Behaviours
Anyone can become a victim of sextortion; however, young children between ages 14 to 17 and adults under the age 30 are the most vulnerable. 'Sextortion Guides' are being sold on social media, offering step-by-step instructions on how to impersonate young men or women online and manipulate victims into sending explicit content. These guides promote tactics including the using anonymous payment methods, such as cryptocurrency or prepaid gift cards, creating fake accounts and using untraceable phone numbers
Reported behaviours commonly experienced by victims of sextortion include:
- The perpetrator tries to start a relationship with the victim very quickly
- The victim is contacted by an unknown or hacked online account with communication that seems unusual
- The conversation shifts from a public or social media platform to a private messaging service
- Shortly after the initial online interaction, the perpetrator engages in sexual discussions or requests explicit images.
- The perpetrator claims to have hacked the victim's account, accessed their contacts, or obtained sexually explicit photos of the victim
How Individuals Can Protect Themselves Against Sextortion
To reduce the risk of falling victim to sextortion, individuals are encouraged:
- To avoid engaging with unknown persons who contact them online, or discontinue communication if the interaction becomes uncomfortable
- To review their privacy settings to ensure maximum protection, such as preventing non-friends or non-followers from making contact and restricting strangers from viewing their list of friends or followers
- To never send images of a sexual nature to anyone, even someone you trust as they may also be targeted
- For parents, it is important to educate their children about online platform safety, particularly regarding digital relationships and communication with strangers
Legal Support for Victims of Sextortion
For victims, including parents of teenage victims, who believe they may have been affected by sextortion, the following actions are encouraged:
- To not make any payments to the perpetrators. Instead, all contact should cease and the perpetrator should be blocked. Paying the money requested does not guarantee the threats will stop and often may lead to further demands
- To avoid deleting any communication or related content, as it may serve as important evidence. This includes preserving messages, images, telephone numbers, social media account names and any relevant bank account or transaction details.
For victims, including parents of victims, there are potential legal avenues to consider:
- Report the activity to the authorities: It is important to report the incident to your local police force. If there is an immediate risk of harm to you or to your child, call the emergency number. If there is no immediate risk, you can report the crime in person at the police station, or online.
- Legal Action: In specific cases, it may be possible to pursue legal proceedings against the perpetrator that defrauded and blackmailed a victim, providing sufficient evidence of their actions is retained. The National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom has warned cybercriminals operating abroad that it could seek to extradite those targeting young people in the United Kingdom and attempting sextortion.
Giambrone and Partners' fraud litigation lawyers are highly experienced in assisting victims of fraud and scams and can play a vital role in offering legal advice, protecting their rights. Our lawyers can guide victims through the process of reporting the crime to the appropriate authorities. In some cases Giambrone and Partners assist with injunctions or restraining orders to prevent further contact or harassment. Our lawyers also have extensive expertise in pursuing civil remedies to seek compensation for emotional distress or reputational damage.
Demetri Bezaintes is an associate based in the London office within the Financial Services and Crypto Litigation Department. He is a solicitor in England & Wales and also a qualified Greek Lawyer (dikigoros).
Demetri has a thorough knowledge of investment fraud and fund tracing. He works tenaciously for our clients, advising on cryptocurrency, Forex trading disputes and regulatory investigations. He draws his expertise in investment law from his experience in the banking sector and his experience in banking and financial services regulation. Prior to joining Giambrone & Partners Demetri worked at an international bank, where his main focus was the enforcement of freezing orders and third-party debt orders.
He approaches cross-border jurisdiction matters with a comprehensive view, based on his knowledge of both civil and common law. After qualifying as a lawyer in Greece, he obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law from the University of Westminster.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
