What is sextortion, what are the signs and how to prevent it?

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Teachers up and down the country have been alerted following a worrying rise in young people being targeted by blackmailers.

The warning by the National Crime Agency came after the number of global 'sextortion' cases doubled in 2023. Figures released by the US National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) showed, 26,718 instances of sextortion compared to 10,731 in 2022.

All age groups and genders are being targeted, but a large proportion of cases have involved male victims aged between 14-18.

According to reports, 91% of victims in UK sextortion cases dealt with by the Internet Watch Foundation in 2023 were male. READ MORE: Kersal Dale murder investigation victim, 67, is named and pictured after human remains found These crimes can be perpetrated by organised crime groups based overseas, predominantly in some West African countries, but some are also known to be located in South East Asia.