A growing threat of sextortion and other forms of online exploitation has local police issuing a warning to young men and boys.

Sextortion is a form of blackmail where sexual content is used to extort something, usually money, from a victim. Typically, it starts when the victim is contacted by someone posing as an attractive woman who coerces the victim into providing nude or sexual images or videos. They leverage this material and threaten to share it unless their demands, often money or more content, are met. This type of exploitation can lead to severe emotional distress, depression, social withdrawal, financial loss, and in extreme cases, self harm or suicide.

These crimes often start with seemingly innocent conversations that quickly turn exploitive, said Cpl. Ashley Fast of the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP’s Special Victims Unit. We need to talk about this and get it out in the open. We need kids and parents to know about it, understand the danger, and make online safety a regular and normal part of everyday discussions.

Protect yourself

Don’t share personal information: Don’t share your real name, address, school, or personal details with strangers
Trust your instincts: If something feels wrong or suspicious it probably is.
Ask for help: If you feel uncomfortable or threatened online, talk to a parent, teacher, or another trusted adult.
Report inappropriate content: Use the reporting tools within apps and games to alert authorities about harmful or abusive content

Parents

Maintain open communication: Encourage your child to share their online experiences without fear of punishment
Know the platforms: Familiarize yourself with the social media apps and games your child uses
Set privacy controls: Help your child set privacy settings on apps and games to limit interactions to known friends only
Monitor activity responsibly: Check-in on your child’s online interactions while respecting their privacy and encouraging transparency.
Discuss risks regularly: Talk openly about the dangers of interacting with strangers online and the potential for deception

If you are targeted

Stop communicating: immediately end the conversation and do not respond to any messages;

Don’t comply with the threat: sending money or more images won’t solve the problem;

Talk to someone: tell a parent or trusted adult

Save the conversations: record usernames, account info, images, and videos;

Report it to police: we will do everything we can to help you.

We want our kids to know that if it does happen, they don’t need to suffer in silence, said Fast. They’re never alone and there are people and resources to help them. Social media is a large part of our teens’ lives. By staying informed and involved, parents and kids can work together to create a safer online environment and protect them from sextortion or other forms of exploitation.

Resources and additional information on ways to keep your teens safe online can be found by visiting: