Social Media Safety / Glossary

Sextortion

Sextortion is blackmail: someone threatens to share a nude or sexual image of a person unless they send money, more images or do what they say.

It often starts with a friendly or flirty contact who may use a fake profile. After an image is shared, or even when it is faked, the tone suddenly turns into threats and demands, often with a short deadline.

Paying or sending more almost never makes it stop. The safer steps are: stop replying, don't pay, save evidence, report the account and tell a trusted adult.

Sextortion is a crime and the person targeted is never to blame. Free services such as Take It Down help stop nude images of under-18s from spreading online, and national helplines and the police can help.