Thorn is an organization dedicated to building a safer world for kids and defending them.
Thorn published a report regarding the trends in financial sextortion, it’s an investigation of sextortion reports in NCMEC CyberTipline data.
The key points of this report:
- Financial sextortion is a grave and urgent threat that demands our attention. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has reported a shocking average of 812 sextortion cases each week in the latest year analyzed, with the vast majority centered around financial coercion.
- Perpetrators employ manipulative tactics to intensify victims’ fears about the devastating repercussions of sharing intimate images, often claiming that it will “ruin their life.” This manipulation must be recognized for what it truly is—an assault on the victim’s mental and emotional well-being.
- While Instagram and Snapchat are the leading platforms for sextortion, there is a troubling trend of perpetrators migrating victims to secure, end-to-end encrypted messaging apps. They are also increasingly using Cash App and gift cards for payments, making the crime more difficult to trace.
- The main countries where sextortion-ists operate—Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire—employ different tactics and platforms, but their malicious intent is the same.
- Despite Instagram accounting for the bulk of sextortion complaints reported to NCMEC, we must address the alarming underreporting on other platforms. It is crucial to confront this issue proactively to safeguard potential victims and raise awareness about the seriousness of this matter. Together, we can combat this critical issue and protect our communities from harm.
Stay informed. Stay alert. Speak up.
