Sextortion: Understanding the Crime and its Impact on Victims

Sextortion is a form of blackmail in which individuals are threatened with the release of their intimate images, videos, or personal information unless they comply with certain demands. These demands typically involve providing more explicit content, paying a sum of money, or performing other degrading acts. The crime can occur through various online platforms, including social media, dating apps, email, or even video chat services. The impact on victims of sextortion is profound and far-reaching, affecting their emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

The Mechanics of Sextortion

Sextortion often begins with perpetrators establishing a relationship with their victims, gaining their trust, and then convincing them to share intimate images or engage in explicit video chats. Perpetrators frequently disguise themselves using fake profiles, pretending to be someone they are not. Once the victims are lured into sharing compromising material, the perpetrators reveal their true intentions, demanding money or further explicit content under the threat of exposing those images to the family and friends of the victim.

Some sextortion schemes are orchestrated by organised crime groups who use advanced techniques such as hacking into personal devices, phishing schemes to collect sensitive information, or exploiting vulnerabilities in social media and dating apps. The best known of these organised crime groups is known as the “Yahoo Boys”, called this because in their earlier days they used free Yahoo email accounts to create the fake profiles. We have a seperate article on the Yahoo Boys, here.

The Psychological Impact on Victims

The emotional toll of sextortion on victims is significant. Feelings of shame, guilt, and fear are common, as victims worry about the potential fallout if the explicit content is released. This fear of exposure can lead to anxiety and depression, as victims feel trapped and powerless in the situation. The sense of violation and betrayal can also damage their self-esteem and trust in others, making it difficult to form future relationships.

Victims may also experience intense stress due to the constant threats and the need to keep the situation hidden from family and friends. This secrecy can lead to isolation and a sense of helplessness. In severe cases, the psychological impact can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with victims reliving the trauma through flashbacks and nightmares.

Unfortunately, nowadays you can read in the news about cases where this has all been too much for the victims and tragically they have felt that they have no choice but to take their own life.

Whilst we at Real or Catfish are not experts qualified in helping people who have reached such a desperate point, we have previously managed to help some victims find an acceptable way out of these situations – more than likely because on those occasions it had been solo fraudsters behind the sextortion and they had a fear of being identified and arrested.

The Social and Financial Consequences

The social consequences of sextortion can be perceived by the victim as being devastating – if the explicit content is released, a victim feels like it can lead to public humiliation and damage to the victim’s personal and professional reputation. They often fear the judgment and stigma from friends, family and acquaintances – it can cause victims to withdraw from social interactions, affecting their relationships and social life.

Financially, victims may face significant losses if they comply with the perpetrator’s demands for money. Repeated payments can lead to financial hardship, and there is no guarantee that the perpetrator will cease their threats after receiving payment.

Legal and Support Measures

Addressing sextortion requires a multi-faceted approach involving providing support for victims, legal measures and awareness campaigns. Many countries have laws against sextortion and related cybercrimes, but enforcement can be challenging due to the anonymity and cross-border nature of the internet. Victims are encouraged to report the crime to law enforcement agencies, which can provide assistance and investigate the perpetrators.

The Internet Watchdog Foundation has some very useful resources on their website https://www.iwf.org.uk/resources/sextortion/

For under 18’s, the Take It Down service is extremely useful for having intimate images and video removed from the Internet https://takeitdown.ncmec.org and for over 18’s https://stopncii.org. Very importantly, these services do not upload your images to their servers, instead they create a numerical hash on your phone or computer, which is mathematically unique to your image or video. Only the numerical hash is uploaded to these services and not your actual images or video.

Support systems play a crucial role in helping victims cope with the aftermath of sextortion. Counselling and therapy can help victims process their emotions and regain a sense of control over their lives. Support groups, both online and offline, can provide a safe space for victims to share their experiences and receive encouragement from others who have gone through similar situations.

Prevention and Awareness

Prevention and awareness are key to combating sextortion. Educating the public about the risks of sharing intimate content online and the tactics used by perpetrators can help potential victims recognise and avoid such schemes. Encouraging safe online practices, such as using strong passwords, enabling privacy settings, and being cautious about sharing personal information, can reduce the risk of falling prey to sextortion.