Rhorrendous, sextortion is a growing phenomenon. According to the annual report drawn up by the Postal Police, in 2024 there were 1507 cases of sextortion, a 47% increase compared to 2023. Not to be confused with revenge porn, the online dissemination of intimate content, sextortion is one real extortion in which money is asked for in exchange for not publishing intimate images where you are easily recognisable.
Sextortion, the “hard” crime on the rise
If it is true that especially teenagers or people looking for a story online are the favorite victims of those who commit this crime, in reality anyone can fall into the trap of sextortion. This phenomenon is having a dangerous growth online and mainly involves adolescents and children: if in 2022 there were “only” 130 cases in the range between 14 and 17 years, in 2023 they rose to 137 but the age dropped between 10 and 13 years. Adolescents and children aside, the phenomenon also involves adults. Interpol and Europol have also released disturbing data on the phenomenon, the latter in particular has highlighted a increase of the phenomenon across Europe by 70% from 2022 to 2023, highlighting that the victims are of all age groups.
But what is sextortion? Real criminal crimethe term is a portmanteau between sex And extortionextortion: «It’s one form of online blackmail in which a person is threatened with the dissemination of personal contentintimate or sexually explicit, such as images or videos, for the purpose of obtain money, additional intimate images, or other favors. This phenomenon occurs in different contexts and can have serious psychological, social and economic repercussions for the victim” explains the Dr. Lorenzo Giacomi, MioDottore psychologist.
How sexual blackmail happens
To understand the phenomenon, you need to understand how it occurs. It mostly happens online, on apps, online platforms in general such as social media, online games, forums. This is where the solicitors, pretending to be interested people, begin to establish a relationship with the other person: “After creating a relationship of trust, the attacker obtains intimate content of the victim, using psychological manipulation, hacking or deepfake. Subsequently, it threatens to disseminate these materials if demands such as payment of money, provision of further explicit content or other forms of obedience are not met” explains the expert. Who are the preferred victims in these cases? “Everyone. Victims can be of any age or background, but the most vulnerable groups include minors, adults seeking online relationships and people with little awareness of digital risks».
To back up their threats, blackmailers can also carry out very sneaky and advanced techniques like deepfakethat is, creating fake images and videos even if they may apparently appear authentic, the social engineering i.e. the manipulation of the victim to obtain personal details or the phishing, create fraudulent links to steal credentials or other sensitive data.
The psychological damage of sextortion
«Sextortion can cause serious psychological harm, negatively impacting the mental well-being and quality of life of victims. The main consequences include persistent anxiety due to fear of the spread of intimate content and loss of security, shame and guilt for sharing material, depression characterized by sadness and loss of interest in daily activities. They add social isolation and difficulty maintaining or building relationships, decreased self-esteem linked to perceived vulnerability, post-traumatic stress symptoms such as flashbacks and emotional hypersensitivity, and in more severe cases, suicidal thoughts resulting from feelings of entrapment and inadequate support. Emotional stress can also affect your work and academic lifecausing difficulty concentrating and abandoning commitments.” Not to mention the economic damage.
How do you deal with this situation, even legally
It is essential to start take preventive measures. With regard to younger people, social networks have begun to introduce a series of changes aimed at protecting them more and more. In general, the first step is avoid the dissemination of personal information and intimate content, as well as adopting IT security practices such as excellent passwords, two-factor authentication and installing antivirus.
«It’s also important maintain conscious behavior onlinerejecting suspicious requests or sending compromising material. It is essential not to give in to blackmail, by not paying or sending other content, and to document everything by collecting evidence such as screenshots and details of the blackmailer. We must block the attacker on social media, report it to the platforms and competent authoritiessuch as the Postal Police, and seek support from trusted people or professionals.”
How do you protect yourself legally? «This crime is prosecutable in Italy through crimes such as extortion, defamation, illicit processing of personal data and private violence. Victims can report the case to the authorities, request the removal of published content and make use of a specialized lawyer. Organizations such as Telefono Azzurro or the CNCPO offer concrete support. Finally, participating in awareness campaigns and sharing information is crucial to prevent the phenomenon and protect the most vulnerable people” concludes the expert.
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