Financially motivated sexual extortion is a type of crime becoming increasingly more prevalent especially among the youths. What is it? - A type of online blackmail.
- Victims are forced into paying money or meeting another financial demand after an offender has threatened to release nudes, semi-nudes or fake manipulated images of them.
- It is NOT sexually motivated.
Important facts about FMSE - Victims can be of any age. However, offenders are known to target young boys and men.
- It is important to stop all communication and block the user.
- Take screenshots of the conversations and offender’s profile.
- Collect URLs and links to any images shared online.
- Always report the conversation to the social media company.
- Use tools such as Report Remove or Take It Down to remove images.
If you have reported FMSE, note down: - Details of how and when you were first contacted by the offender
- Were you asked to partake in removing clothing or performing a sex act?
- Did you see a video or photograph of the perpetrator? Do you have a copy of the footage or photograph?
- How long after this did the demand for money start?
- What was the nature of the threat?
- What personal details did you provide?
- How were you asked to make payment, i.e. Western Union, MoneyGram, or other payment systems? Or via gift card?
Online safety tips: - Monitor your privacy settings and make sure that only your close friends/selected followers you know and trust can view personal information such email, phone number, address, school
- Where possible, avoid sharing personal information such as the above on social media
- Do not accept friend/follow requests from strangers
- If a stranger asks for an intimate picture on TikTok or any other social media DO NOT send one and do not engage with the person anymore
- Report the conversation to the social media platform and block the user
- If threats are made, contact the police and ensure you gather useful information such as screenshots, account details, account URLs
|
