Sextortion is when someone threatens to share sexual or nude images, videos, or information about a person online.

The goal is usually to extort money or force you to do something you do not want to do.

It does not matter if you share something with consent or not. If someone misuses it or threatens to share it, it’s a crime.

The person might:

• contact you through social media or dating apps
• try to develop a sexualised relationship with you quickly
• try to persuade you to share intimate photos or videos
• record you without telling you
• use AI to create fake videos of you

They might try to get you send money to stop them from doing this.

Sometimes, they’ll ask for something else. This can include:

• bank login details
• use of your bank account for money muling
• more images

Signs of sextortion

There are some common signs that someone is planning sextortion.

They might:

• send you lots of friend requests
• try to escalate the relationship quickly
• request or send sexual images and videos
• ask you to message on a different site

If someone does try to extort you, they’ll often say things like:

• they’ve hacked your accounts
• they can see all your contacts (they might share screenshots of your contacts to prove it)
• they’ve got images or information from your device
• they’ll share your images unless you pay them

Some people might also use phishing emails and texts to try and extort lots of people at the same time.

Although it can be difficult to talk about, we strongly recommend that you report sextortion to us.

If you’re in severe distress or having thoughts of self-harm, you can get mental health support.

If you want to tell us about sextortion, you can report it online, by phone, or in person.

Report it using our online form

Learn about other ways you can report a crime to us

If someone tries to sextort you, you can:

• report it to the social media or website it was shared on
• refuse to pay them (they might still share the images or ask for more money)
• contact your bank for extra information if you’ve paid them
• save or screenshot posts and messages (to give to us when you report it)
• block the sender
• use Stop NCII (Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse) if you’re over 18 to get the image taken down
• use Childline’s Report Remove service if you’re under 18 to get the image taken down
• report any phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk
• tell someone you trust about what’s happening

If you report it to us, it can help if you record:

• what was said or sent
• what platform, website, or app it was on
• when it was sent or posted
• the sender's name or username (if known)

There are steps you can take to help keep your information safe. You can:

• refuse to share anything that makes you uncomfortable
• block anyone who makes you uncomfortable
• learn how young people, carers, and parents can protect against sextortion from Fearless (part of Crimestoppers)
• read advice on social media parental controls and privacy settings from Internet Matters
• create strong passwords following advice from the National Cyber Security Centre
• learn how to spot phishing emails using advice from the National Cyber Security Centre
• read advice on how to use social media safely from the National Cyber Security Centre