Social Media and Sextortion
It Won’t Happen to Me
In today’s digital world, the threat of cyber extortion is no longer confined to businesses or high-profile individuals. Increasingly, the most vulnerable victims are teenagers, particularly boys aged 13 to 18, targeted on social media platforms in disturbing schemes known as ‘sextortion’.
As a short-term insurance brokerage committed to risk awareness and protection, Econorisk urges parents, guardians and teenagers to stay informed and vigilant. Understanding the threat, educating your children, and knowing your options – including cyber insurance – can make all the difference.
What is Cyber Extortion and Sextortion?
Cyber extortion involves the use of threats to force victims into handing over money or sensitive data. Sextortion is a specific and alarming form of this crime. In a sextortion scam, victims are tricked or coerced into sharing explicit images or videos after believing they are conversing online with someone their own age who is interested in them romantically. After sharing intimate images or engaging digitally in sexual activities, the victim is then blackmailed with threats to make them public unless a ransom is paid.
These scams are not only traumatic; they are alarmingly common, often carried out by international crime syndicates.
7,200% increase in sextortion reports between 2021 and 2022
According to the BBC, recent data from law enforcement and online safety agencies show a significant increase in the number of people reporting financial forms of sextortion, mostly teenage boys and young men.
In South Africa, reported cases are rising steadily. What may surprise you: 60% of victims know the perpetrator, making it even harder to detect or prevent.
What’s worse: most cases go unreported due to shame or fear. The true numbers may be far higher than what’s officially recorded.
How Sextortion Works?
There are typically two main tactics used:
- Malware and Ransomware: You click a seemingly innocent link or attachment, often from a fake profile or email. This installs malware on your device. Your files and personal data are encrypted, and a message demands payment to regain access.
- Social Media Scams: A stranger befriends your child on social media, builds trust or pretends to be a peer, and persuades them to send private images. Once shared, the threats begin – pay up, or the photos will be made public.
Often, these attackers operate from overseas, using fake accounts and untraceable communication methods, making enforcement difficult.
Why Teenagers are Targeted
Teenagers, especially boys, are frequently targeted for a few reasons:
- They are more likely to take risks online or engage in private conversations with strangers.
- Shame and fear prevent many from speaking up or asking for help.
- Social media is integral to their lives, making the threat of exposure even more devastating.
The psychological impact is severe. Victims may report anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts. Many feel trapped, unsure of where to turn.
Boys 13–17 years old are the group most at risk for financial sexual extortion
What Parents Can Do
The first line of defence is education. Parents must have open, non-judgmental conversations with their children about the risks of sharing personal content online.
Tips for parents:
- Encourage your child to never engage with strangers online, especially on platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok.
- Teach them to spot red flags like unusual friend requests, messages with links, or pushy behaviour.
- Regularly check privacy settings on their apps and devices.
- Let them know they can always talk to you without fear, even if they’ve made a mistake.
As The Digital Law Company advises, “If you are a victim, stop all communication with the perpetrator. Take screenshots, do not delete messages or images, and report it to a trusted adult and the relevant authorities. The sooner you seek help, the more likely it is to prevent wider exposure and regain control of the situation.”
The Role of Cyber Insurance
Even with the best safeguards, cyber threats can still breach the walls. That’s where cyber insurance comes in.
Econorisk offers access to iTOO’s My[Cy]lution cyber insurance, which covers:
- The appointment of IT specialists to assess the threat.
- Recovery of compromised systems or encrypted data.
- Payment of ransom demands, where necessary.
- Additional costs linked to managing the incident and restoring normalcy.
Whether it’s your personal device, your child’s laptop, or your family’s digital safety, having cyber insurance gives you peace of mind when the unexpected happens.
How to Protect Your Family
Prevention and early detection are key to minimising the risk of cyber extortion. Here’s how you can help protect your household:
- Install reputable antivirus and anti-malware software on all devices.
- Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for all social media and email accounts.
- Regularly back up important files offline.
- Talk openly about digital threats – awareness and education are your best defence.
- Report all incidents to local cybercrime units.
- Take It Down is a free tool that can be used to remove content from the internet.
- Cyber Insurance cover includes a team of highly experienced experts on standby to deal with such scenarios on your behalf.
In Conclusion
Cyber extortion is not a distant threat. It’s happening now, to ordinary families, across South Africa, and the world. As social media becomes an everyday space for teenagers, the risks grow increasingly too.
Stay informed. Educate your children. Invest in protection. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
For more information on cyber insurance and how Econorisk can help, contact us today.
#Econorisk #CyberExtortion #Sextortion #CyberInsurance #TeenOnlineSafety #DigitalRisk