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sextortion.
Sextortion — blackmail involving intimate images — is surging, especially among teens and young adults. Victims under 18 increased nearly 10% in 2023. Whether someone is threatening to share intimate photos, demanding money to keep them private, or using AI to create fake explicit images, you are not alone and this is not your fault. Reporting stops these criminals from targeting others.
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How sextortion works — and what to do if it happens to you
Sextortion is one of the fastest-growing online crimes in the United States, and it's devastating lives. The FBI reported over 12,600 sextortion complaints in 2023, with teen and Gen-Z victims surging nearly 10%. Multiple teenagers have died by suicide after being targeted, making this not just a financial crime but a life-threatening one.
The mechanics are brutally simple. A scammer creates an attractive fake profile on Instagram, Snapchat, or a dating app. They initiate conversation, build rapport quickly, and escalate to sexual content — exchanging photos or moving to video chat. Once they have compromising material, the friendly persona vanishes instantly. The victim receives a message: "Pay $500 in Bitcoin or I send these to everyone on your friends list." They often show screenshots of the victim's actual contacts to prove they're serious.
The two types of sextortion
Targeted sextortion involves actually obtaining real intimate images through manipulation or hacking. The scammer genuinely has compromising material and uses it as leverage. This is most common on dating apps and social media. Mass email sextortion is a bluff — scammers send millions of emails claiming to have hacked your webcam and recorded you. They include an old password (from a data breach) to make the threat seem credible, but they typically have nothing. Both types demand cryptocurrency or gift card payments.
A newer and deeply disturbing variant uses AI-generated deepfake images. Scammers take ordinary social media photos and use AI tools to create realistic fake explicit images. The victim never shared anything inappropriate, but the fabricated images are realistic enough to cause panic. This variant frequently targets teenagers who have public social media profiles.
What to do right now
Do not pay. Paying almost never stops the threats — it confirms you're willing to pay, and the demands escalate. FBI data shows that most sextortion criminals who receive a payment come back asking for more. Do not delete evidence.Screenshot everything: the threats, the accounts, the payment demands, the conversation history. Block the accounton the platform and report it. Tell someone you trust — a parent, friend, teacher, or counselor. The shame and isolation are the scammer's biggest weapons.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988). For children and teens, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CyberTipline handles reports involving minors. You can also reach out to the FBI field office nearest to you.
Where else to report
File in multiple places to maximize impact:
- →FBI IC3 — ic3.gov — file a complaint — the FBI has a dedicated sextortion task force
- →NCMEC CyberTipline — cybertipline.org — if the victim is under 18 — mandatory reporting for minors
- →988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — call or text 988 — free, confidential, 24/7 support
- →The platform — report the account on Instagram, Snapchat, etc. — platforms can remove content and ban accounts
Related scam types
Scammers often combine tactics. If this looks familiar, check these too: