NZ Police are warning of increasing sextortion incidents where young New Zealanders are targeted by offshore offenders on social media.
Detective Senior Sergeant Jodie Lyons says this is a global issue where offshore offenders target young victims by tricking them into sending sexually explicit content before blackmailing them with threats to share the content with friends and family unless they pay.
“In one very recent incident, a New Zealand teenager could not pay the money he was being blackmailed into sending and the images were shared publicly by the offender.”
How does sextortion work?
This type of extortion called ‘capping’ starts with a direct message to the victim on social media followed by the offender asking the victim to continue chatting on a different app.
The conversation quickly becomes sexualised and the victim is coerced into sharing intimate photos or videos of themselves.
The offender then uses this explicit content to blackmail the victim into paying the offender money or they will share the images and videos with their friends and family.
Police say in some instances these photos are edited by the offender to make the victim look like they are in even more compromising positions.
Offenders have also captured explicit content while the young person is on a video call or live stream.
Warning signs to look out for
- Police say meeting someone on one app and then being encouraged to continue a conversation on a different platform could be a warning sign.
- It is important to look out for inconsistencies with their social media profile or language. For example, there might be signs that English is a second language.
- Be cautious about the introduction of highly sexualised conversations.
- The other person may say that their webcam or microphone is not working for video calls/chats to avoid revealing their true identity.
What to do if you are a victim
Police say the best thing to do right away is avoid sending any more explicit content, even if they are threatening you. Then take screenshots of the messages before blocking the profile.
You can then report the user and the content to the platform they are on (for example Facebook, Instagram or PornHub) to request for them to be removed.
Lastly, you can make a report to the police (by calling 105) or contact Netsafe.
“We are shining a light on this serious issue to ensure New Zealand young people, their parents and caregivers are aware of the risks and remain vigilant to ensure it does not happen to them,” says Lyons.
“However, if it does, the best protection a victim has is to come forward and seek specialist support from police as soon as possible. We will not criticise or blame you – what has happened is not your fault and we are here to help you.”
Top image: Woman Using Mobile Phone While Sitting On Bed At Home - stock photo. Getty Images.
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