'Sextortion' cases, often originating in West Africa, are spiking in U.S., officials say - The Washington Post

In a quality release, the FBI and Justice Department said a ample information of the sextortion crimes originate successful Nigeria and the Ivory Coast and are driven by “financial gain,” not enactment — a information that a Justice Department authoritative said makes this inclination antithetic from different kid exploitation crimes that person historically been motivated by intersexual attraction to minors.

The official, and an FBI official, spoke connected the information of anonymity successful accordance with crushed rules acceptable astatine a inheritance briefing.

In the past year, authorities person received much than 7,000 reports related to sextortion and confirmed astir 3,000 insignificant victims successful the country, the Justice Department said. These children are contacted connected societal media platforms from idiosyncratic utilizing a fake relationship and typically posing arsenic a female. They acceptable their determination to beryllium determination adjacent the victims and inquire the boys to nonstop sexually explicit photos, past endanger to merchandise the illicit images unless a ransom is paid.

Most of the boys targeted are betwixt the ages of 14 and 17, though officials accidental they person identified victims arsenic young arsenic 10. The full enactment — from the constituent interaction is made to erstwhile wealth is demanded — tin unfold successful conscionable hours.

“This is simply a level of harassment we haven’t seen precocious successful regards to our children,” the FBI authoritative said.

Officials did not disclose however overmuch wealth has been collected successful the sextortion schemes, but described them arsenic “successful,” with 1 authoritative saying that is “why it is happening connected the standard that it is.” Still, they said, successful galore instances the extortioners merchandise the images adjacent if payments are made.

Prosecution of this benignant of online fraud is difficult, the Justice Department said, due to the fact that it’s challenging to way down the individuality of the predator. And pursuing the cases tin beryllium adjacent much analyzable successful cases erstwhile the suspects unrecorded overseas and would request to beryllium extradited to beryllium held accountable. But the contented has been receiving much attention.

In October, the Dr. Phil tv amusement featured parents of a kid who was sextorted and died by suicide.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has issued steps parents and children tin instrumentality if they are victims of sextortion. They urged children to question assistance earlier deciding whether to wage the extortioners. They besides said parents and children should artifact the relationship of the predator, but not delete immoderate communication, due to the fact that those messages whitethorn beryllium adjuvant to assistance instrumentality enforcement investigations.