- Sextortion guides and manuals are freely available online on platforms like YouTube and Telegram.
- An 80-page guide discovered on Telegram, allegedly written by an extortionist, provided in-depth information on creating fake profiles and manipulating victims.
- The rise in sextortion cases has been linked to West African criminals distributing instructional videos and scripts on various social media platforms.
According to a recent report by the Guardian, detailed manuals and video guides instructing criminals on how to carry out financially motivated sexual extortion, known as sextortion, are freely available on platforms like YouTube and Telegram.
These resources show perpetrators how to trick teenagers into sending intimate photos, which are then used to blackmail them.
Adam Priestley, a senior manager for the National Crime Agency (NCA), highlighted the presence of "sextortion guides" on YouTube. He noted:
“Those we’ve seen on YouTube provide a step-by-step tutorial in how to commit these blackmail offences from start to finish.”
A particularly disturbing 80-page guide discovered on Telegram was shared with the NCA by a cybersecurity firm. The anonymous author of this guide claims to hav extorted 5,000 victims over seven years. The guide, which was eventually removed by Telegram after being alerted by the Guardian, offers criminals detailed instructions on how to create fake profiles, manipulate victims, and profit from the crime.
A report by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has linked the rise in sextortion cases to West African criminals distributing instructional videos and scripts on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Scribd. Both YouTube and TikTok have responded by removing such content and enhancing their moderation efforts. Telegram has also reiterated its prohibition of sextortion on its platform and its commitment to monitoring and removing harmful content.
This alarming trend underscores the need for vigilance and stronger measures to protect vulnerable individuals online.
Edited by Harshajit Sarmah
