Over 90 percent of these reports to the Australia Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) came from teenage boys. The AFP had predicted the rise, thanks to global police intelligence, and sent an urgent message to secondary and high schools in the country in early December. “We are seeing offshore criminal syndicates targeting a victim’s entire friend list,” Commander Hilda Sirec of the ACCCE said. “This type of financial sextortion involves victims being coerced into sending sexualised images or videos of themselves by online offenders, usually with the offender pretending to be another young person. The offender then threatens to on-share the content to others unless the victim pays.” Despite the significant rise in reported sextortion scams, the police suspect the actual number of cases is much higher.
Police Urge Victims to Openly Talk to Friends, Parents, Teachers
The AFP has urged teenagers to talk openly to their peers, parents, caretakers, and teachers about instances of abuse. In cases of sextortion, criminals prey on the fear and vulnerability of their victims. Apart from feeling humiliated, victims might even believe they are on the wrong side of the law in such situations. “When this happens to someone under the age of 18, it is online child sexual exploitation and I want to reassure victims of this crime that they will not be in trouble with the police for coming forward and reporting,” Sirec said. “Some victims are unwilling to report the abuse and even deny that anything has happened if identified and contacted by police because they may feel a sense of shame or embarrassment,” Sirec added. The AFP has worked with other organizations, such as AUSTRAC, to combat the rise of online financial sextortion. Between June and December 2022, the AFP shut down over 1,000 Australian banks, financial services, and digital currency accounts with ties to organized syndicates targeting Australian teens.
ACCCE’s Advice to Parents and Schools
Victims of sextortion can face devastating mental health effects which may lead to self harm. Therefore, it is crucial for parents, caregivers, and teachers to empathize and reassure teenagers that they are not at fault. “Conversations with children and young people about the risks online need to be open and honest, and victims need to be made to feel supported and understood,” Sirec stated. Furthermore, the ACCCE encourages school communities to spread this message by displaying posters and related materials on campus and online. Combating sextortion must be part of the broader efforts to promote internet safety and protect children from online predators.
