The National Crime Agency (NCA) have launched a campaign to combat the threat posed to teenage boys by financially motivated sexual extortion – a type of online blackmail widely known as ‘sextortion’.

Financially motivated sexual extortion (FMSE) is when an offender threatens to release nude or semi-nude images and/or videos of a victim, unless they pay money or meet another financial demand, such as buying a pre-paid gift card. It is a form of child sexual abuse. Victims of any age and gender can be targets however a large proportion of cases involve male victims aged 14-17.

Many of you would have received the alert that was issued to all education settings across the UK on the increasing threat of FMSE in April 2024. Since the alert, reports of FMSE across the globe have remained consistent and the need to support young people to spot warning signs and not feel alone is vital.

In response to this continued threat, the NCA are launching a social media campaign targeted at teens. It aims to raise awareness of FMSE, helping them spot warning signs, set boundaries and access support through the CEOP Education website. It reinforces that FMSE can happen to anyone, but it is never the victim’s fault.