The term “sextortion” is now widely used to describe online blackmail whereby the perpetrator threatens to publish intimate photos or videos of the victim unless a demand is met.
Anyone can be targeted, not just those who have shared intimate images. Our experience of such threats in our caseload is that the perpetrator is often lying when they claim to possess compromising material. And when it comes to being targeted, age, gender and ethnicity do not appear to differentiate victims in terms of prevalence, although some people are more attractive as victims. Wealth, status and public profile create vulnerability to such threats in and of themselves, particularly when coupled with a history of sharing sensitive images.
But whatever form the threat takes and regardless of individual circumstances, becoming the focus of a sextortion is a deeply distressing situation in which to find oneself and requires careful handling.
So, who are the perpetrators and how do they “sextort”? The answer appears to depend on what is motivating the threat, but those who make threats like this can range from complete strangers, to known individuals and former intimates, as well as organised criminal gangs.
One way in which sensitive data is obtained is by sending out Trojan viruses to the emails of potential victims, which when clicked on releases their private data.
Where the victim knows the perpetrator, sensitive data may have been obtained consensually, by having privately shared intimate images with a partner, for example.
A common feature of organised criminal activity involving sextortion is use of social engineering to present as a person of interest to the victim, before then leading them in conversation to a relationship in which the victim feels comfortable enough to share intimate images, believing themselves to be communicating in mutual good faith.
One issue both victim and adviser should always explore is the question of motivation: why is this individual sextorting? What is the purpose of the threat?
The most obvious and frequent motivation is money. This is usually always the case with organised crime groups, who will send out mass distribution, threatening to release incriminating material about the individuals to their partners or family if they don’t send money. Those criminals probably don’t have the sensitive data they claim to have, but if the victim has engaged in some risky activity, then they may make a false connection with it.
With known individuals – rejected ex-partners, for example – the motivation may be an attempt to rekindle the relationship. Even contact through blackmail, given the likelihood the victim will respond, provides the threatener with a chance of the contact they crave.
Another motivation may be that the perpetrator just wants to cause someone pain, whether the desire to inflict reciprocal hurt, or to derive enjoyment from having harmed the victim.
Sometimes a threat is simply a clear declaration of what the threatener is going to do. Some just want to get their threat in first, driven by paranoia that the recipient will do the same to them.
Sextortion can have enormously harmful effects on the victims psychologically, with very high rates of anxiety and depression. In some cases, victims may also suffer with post-traumatic stress disorder. Catastrophisation, a belief that the world has come to an end, and the feeling of an absolute lack of control, come as the result of the very uneven power dynamic in favour of the perpetrator.
The main thing to do if you find yourself as the victim of sextortion, is to take a step back and pause before reacting. Anyone facing this situation might be tempted to engage with the perpetrator, but the best approach is to not respond straight away and consider sitting down with a trusted third party or expert help to analyse the situation objectively.
However vulnerable you feel, you should avoid the temptation to accede to the demands for money, as this can escalate and result in higher demands.
