Sextortion: Understanding its Origins and Safeguarding Your Digital Life
The rise of technology has undeniably transformed the way we communicate and interact with others. Unfortunately, it has also paved the way for new and troubling forms of online exploitation. Sextortion, a distressing and traumatic form of cybercrime, has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. It is can also be part of Romance Fraud. In this blog, we will delve into the origin of sextortion, shed light on its mechanisms, and provide essential tips on how to remain safe if you find yourself as a victim of this type of crime.
Origins of Sextortion
Sextortion is not a new phenomenon. Its roots can be traced back to the early 2000s when advancements in technologies, such as webcams and instant messaging, gave perpetrators an opportunity to exploit vulnerable individuals. Initially, sextortion often occurred through popular chat platforms, where scammers would engage in conversations and eventually manipulate victims into sharing explicit or compromising material. These malicious actors would then employ these materials to extort money or other favors from their victims, exploiting their fear of exposure.
Mechanisms of Sextortion
Today, sextortion has evolved and expanded its reach to various digital platforms, including social media, dating apps, and email. Perpetrators often pose as trustworthy individuals to gain their victims’ confidence before luring them into sharing explicit images or videos. Some even employ sophisticated hacking techniques to gain unauthorized access to victims’ personal devices and accounts, enhancing their power of manipulation. Once in possession of such compromising materials, they threaten to distribute them to the victim’s family, friends, or colleagues unless their demands are met.
Hacking of this nature was behind the documentary of real life sextortionist ‘The most hated man on the Internet’, Hunter Moore. You can read about him here. Although his website revolved around revenge porn, he himself made a fortune off the back of this and the similarities to sextortion in Romance Fraud are there.
Romance Fraud and Sextortion.
Throughout these frauds, scammers are very clever at manipulation and that includes building trust or using emotional pressure techniques to exploit intimate images from victims.
This will often start when the victim has been chatting for a while and the conversation would (intentionally from the scammer) turn intimate. The scammer, most often will send an intimate image first, this will have been saved from another scam with another victim or taken from the internet. Once this has been sent, the scammer will ask for the victim to return the favour. If there is non compliance, the scammer will attempt to emotionally pressurise the victim. This can be seen by the scammer guilting the victim by saying that they don’t feel as much for them if they don’t want to and intimating that the relationship isn’t as important to the victim. Also, that not trusting them is an issue, for example.
These images are collected for two reasons. One, to further the relationship and build further intimacy. Two, for the purpose of blackmail when the fraud is realised and the scammers want to further the chance of getting more money through blackmailing the victim.
What to Do if You Fall Victim to Sextortion
1. Stay calm and seek support: Do not panic if you become a victim of sextortion. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or professional counsellor. Their support can help you cope with the emotional distress, guilt, and shame that often accompany such situations.
2. Avoid giving into demands: Understand that succumbing to blackmail will only empower the perpetrator and prolong your vulnerability. Take a stand against exploitation and resist complying with their requests.
3. Preserve evidence: Gather and preserve all evidence related to the sextortion, including screenshots, messages, and any other relevant information. This documentation will help law enforcement authorities take appropriate steps if you decide to report the crime.
4. Report to the authorities: It is crucial to report the incident to your local law enforcement agency and provide them with all the evidence you have collected. Sextortion is a serious crime, and your report can contribute to holding the perpetrators accountable and preventing further victims.
5. Secure your online presence: Enhance your digital security by using strong, unique passwords for each account, enabling multi-factor authentication, and regularly updating your devices and applications. Be cautious about the information you share online and maintain privacy settings that limit access to your personal information.
These scammers work on fear. The only way they can make you fear is by being able to contact you. For Romance fraud Victims in particular, these are the steps you need to follow.
Block all contact the scammer has with you. This might be phone numbers and/or emails in the first instance. The phone number/email may be used on the chat app the scammer asked you to move to when you first started talking.
If the scammer still has knowledge of your social media accounts, you need to disable them for a few weeks. Before you bring them back, you need to ensure that they are completely private (including friends lists and groups), the user name or profile links should be changed (please message if you need advice on how to do this). The name and picture on your profiles should also be changed. In addition, go through your friends or followers and remove anyone that you don’t know. Scammers often infiltrate with many accounts and identities and lurk or claim to be friends.
As quickly as possible, get a new phone number and/or email. If you don’t use the app they have you on with anyone else then delete it. These scammers will attempt to come back with other numbers/emails so getting a new number/email is the best way to stop any attempts. Also, scammers sell details to other scammers so removing yourself from future threat is safer.
6. Inform the platform: If the sextortion occurred through a specific social media platform or dating app, report the incident to its administrators. They can take appropriate action against the perpetrator’s account, which may help protect other potential victims.
7. Educate yourself and others: Familiarize yourself with the red flags of sextortion and other online scams. Share your experience and knowledge with friends and family to raise awareness and prevent them from falling victim to similar traps.
If you find that there are pictures that have been posted, you can contact SWGfL who host the revenge porn helpline. They are also behind StopNCII.org (Stop Non Consensual Intimate Image Abuse). You can see their campaign here.
Sextortion is a distressing form of cybercrime that exploits victims’ fears and vulnerabilities. By understanding its origins and mechanisms, as well as taking proactive steps to safeguard our digital lives, we can collectively make a significant impact in combating this crime. Remember to seek support, report the incident to authorities, and educate yourself and others to prevent this form of online exploitation from negatively impacting more innocent lives.