Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA) said on Monday it had issued an unprecedented alert to hundreds of thousands of education professionals over an increase in cases of financially motivated sexual extortion, including in schools.
The NCA said there had been a global rise in "sextortion" cases - in which people are threatened with the release of comprising photos, either real or faked, if they do not pay to stop them.
While all age groups are at risk, a large proportion of cases involved teenage boys, the NCA said, leading it to give advice to teachers about how to spot the signs of the abuse.
"Sextortion is a callous crime. Perpetrators have no concern for victims or the lives that might be destroyed in the process. Their sole motivation is financial gain," James Babbage, director general for threats at the NCA, said in a statement.
"We are asking education professionals to help us raise awareness about this crime type, which is sadly increasing across the world."
Ninety one per cent of victims in UK sextortion cases dealt with by the Internet Watch Foundation in 2023 were male.
The NCA claims these crimes are perpetrated by organised crime groups based overseas, predominantly in some West African countries, and some in South East Asia.
A lawmaker from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party left the party this month after he admitted divulging the personal phone numbers of his colleagues to someone he met on a dating app.
William Wragg said he had felt compromised after he sent the unknown person intimate photos of himself, prompting warnings for lawmakers to be careful about their online interactions. (Reuters)
A street vendor looks at his smartphone on April 27, 2024 in Bengaluru, India. (Photo by Valeria Mongelli/Getty Images)
