The Guardian has uncovered detailed manuals and video guides on financially motivated sexual extortion, commonly known as sextortion, available for free online. Criminals provide customised instruction in exchange for an additional payment.
Platforms such as TikTok, YouTube, and Telegram host these guides.
In sextortion, scammers trick teenagers online into sending intimate photos and then demand money, threatening to expose the photos.
Adam Priestley, a senior executive at the National Crime Agency (NCA), commented on the availability of manuals and video guides titled ‘sex blackmail guides’ on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
The videos on YouTube provide step-by-step instructions on carrying out extortion crimes, targeting victims, and profiting from the crime.
The Guardian has discovered over 80 pages of a written guide shared on the Telegram messaging app, detailing methods of online blackmail and manipulation. Telegram removed the guide after it was flagged.
The guide offers valuable insights on creating fake profiles, targeting victims, and coercing them into sending explicit content. It also reveals the top three countries where online blackmail is successful and advises readers to target teenagers and young adults.
The guide includes a blackmail script for purchase and offers one-on-one tutoring for a fee, showing evidence of a professionalisation of this criminal activity.
YouTube and TikTok have strict policies in place to prevent harmful content such as phishing guides, while Telegram actively monitors and removes content related to sextortion.
Source: www.theguardian.com
