Sextortion
Information about sextortion and what to do if you're a victim.
On this page:
What can you do to protect yourself?
What to do if you're a victim of sextortion
What is sextortion?
Sextortion is sexual extortion. It involves the threat of having sexual information, photos or videos shared.
This is done to get money from you, to control behaviour or to pressure you for further images.
There are several different forms of sextortion:
- Phishing emails –Phishing emails are fake emails designed to encourage you to respond, similar to a fish taking the bait. Phishing emails are a common sextortion technique. Criminals claim to have access to your internet search history or devices and that they have proof that you have been visiting explicit sites. They may threaten to expose you and demand money. They may also direct you to click on a link or attachment contained in the email. These links or attachments are likely to contain malicious software (malware) which can allow them to access your device or steal personal information. These emails are usually sent out in bulk and at random.
If you receive this type of email, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at report@phishing.gov.uk.
- Social media – Many sextortions start with seemingly harmless flirting on social media or dating sites. Criminals are experts at creating fake profiles that appear genuine. Flirtatious conversations quickly turn sexual and the victim is actively encouraged to remove clothing, perform a sexual act on camera or share explicit images. These images and videos are often recorded without the victim’s knowledge and then can be held to ransom. The criminals will often have already accessed your social media contacts and will threaten to share these images with them unless you comply with their demands.
- Hacked accounts – If you have shared intimate photos or videos online, saved them to the cloud or have them saved on social media accounts, they could be vulnerable to being hacked. Criminals may then use these images to extort money from you.
- Hacked devices – Software security is improving, however occasionally sextortion may involve malware being downloaded onto the victims’ device. Once there, this can allow criminals to remotely take control of cameras and microphones which would allow them to monitor the victim.
- Non-consensual intimate image sharing – This is sometimes referred to as revenge porn and is against the law. This includes;
- Intimate images shared without consent
- Threats to share intimate images
- Images recorded without consent (also referred to as voyeurism)
Non-consensual intimate image sharing usually occurs in a relationship in order to shame the victim or to control their behaviour, it does not necessarily involve demands for money. It can include sharing images with friends or family and is used to directly threaten a partner or ex-partner.
- Child sexual abuse and exploitation - Sextortion also affects children and is a method of online grooming. Children are often approached on social media by strangers through fake profiles and by adults pretending to be much younger. The abuser will gain the child’s trust through praise or flattery before asking to chat privately or send a photo. Once the child shares an image or divulges personal information the abuser will use this as leverage to coerce the child to do more, usually by threat of repercussion. This can be highly distressing for a child who feels isolated and unable to seek help.
What can you do to protect yourself?
Phishing email sextortion
Phishing emails rely on fear, authority and urgency to force you to act without thinking. Take a moment to examine the email and do not click on any links or attachments. Phishing emails are designed to deceive you and may look genuine, however look out for tell-tale signs:
- Is the email addressed to you by name or does it use your email address or no name at all.
- Criminals may try to create official looking emails by including logos and graphics – is the design, spelling and quality what you expect?
- Does the email contain a threat or a deadline? Be suspicious of words like “immediately” and “respond within 24 hours”.
- Your email settings will help you to filter out spam or suspicious messages.
- If you have received a suspicious email forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at report@phishing.gov.uk
Social media sextortion
People behave differently online than they do in person. Being online gives us a sense of anonymity and a lack of repercussions.
Be careful when you are online. Only share personal information with people you know and trust. Review your profile settings regularly and make your accounts private. Social media sextortion uses access to your contacts as leverage, and criminals may threaten to share your videos and pictures with them unless you pay them money. Keeping your social media profiles and contacts private makes you a less attractive target.
Some online platforms offer video chat. Only activate your camera when you want to. Make sure it is turned off and covered all times when not being used. Don’t allow yourself to be coaxed or persuaded into activity that you will later regret such as sharing photos, videos, undressing performing a sex act.
If using video chat apps, be alert to the fact that 'contacts' are not always who they say they are. If you allow an online conversation to develop be cautious if requests are made of you. Conversations can easily be recorded on apps or by using another device.
If you use apps to find someone to chat to or flirt with, be careful. Look out for red flags including a conversation quickly becoming sexual or being asked to move to another platform or app. This is often to gain access to more of your contacts.
Online relationships are quick to develop and in the heat of the moment you could be tempted to do things you wouldn’t normally do in person. End any chats that you are not comfortable with. Stay in control of what you do.
It can be difficult to step back and recognise when something isn’t right. If you have doubts or need support or advice contact the police or a support agency as soon as possible.
Hacked account sextortion
Familiarise yourself with your accounts and their settings, check for unusual logins.
Use a strong and separate password for each account by combining three random words that are easy for you to remember.
Where available, turn on 2 step verification (sometimes called 2SV). This acts as a second layer of security to stop criminals accessing your account by guessing or breaking a password.
Hacked devices sextortion
Be alert to signs that you device has been hacked. These include unusual activity on your accounts or your device may run slowly or feel hot to touch. You may see changes to your home page or desktop, it frequently crashes or has an unusually slow performance. You may see unauthorised or bulk emails being sent or frequent pop-up windows, especially ones that encourage you to visit unusual sites, or download antivirus or other software.
Non-consensual intimate image sharing
The majority of no-consensual intimate image sharing occurs when images have been shared consensually within a relationship. However, these images can then be used against you when the relationship ends or by a coercive or controlling partner. Be mindful that circumstances can change and once shared, you can lose control over who has access to them.
Online child sexual abuse and exploitation
Protect yourself and your children against online abuse by reviewing your profiles and removing any personal information from public view. Use avatars instead of photos, do not use your real name or date of birth in usernames, e.g MeghanB2012.
Have open discussions with your family about staying safe online and don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.
What to do if you're a victim of sextortion
Do not panic. The police will take your case seriously. We will deal with it in confidence. You will not be judged.
Do not pay. Some victims who have paid hear no more about it, others pay and are pressured for more money. In some cases, even when money is paid the criminals share the videos or images anyway.
Do not talk any further to the criminals Take screen shots of any communication. Keep it as evidence.
Make a note of all details provided by the criminals. For example; the profile name, the URL, details of any method of payment and account/ transfer/ cryptocurrency details.
Deactivate your social media account but do not delete it. Report the matter to the platform to have any video blocked. Deactivating the account rather than shutting it down will mean data is kept and you can reactivate it at a later date. This helps the police to gather evidence and means your online memories are not lost forever.
Report the matter to the police and your social media platform/ website.
Remember that you're the victim of a crime. You're not alone and confidential support is available. You can get through this.
Related links
CEOP works to keep children safe from sexual abuse and grooming online
PAPYRUS gives confidential advice and support. They work to stop young suicide in the UK
Contact a SAMARITAN if you need someone to talk to, we listen. We won't judge or tell you what to do
GET SAFE ONLINE is the UK’s leading source of unbiased, factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety
REVENGE PORN HELPLINE is a UK service supporting adults (aged 18+) who are experiencing intimate image abuse
THINK YOU KNOW provides support for young people, teenagers, parents & carers
NCSC’s advice on how to protect yourself from sextortion emails -