British Teens Targeted in Nigerian Crime Gangs’ Sextortion Schemes

British teenage boys are increasingly targeted by Nigerian crime gangs in sextortion schemes, primarily through social media platforms. The National Crime Agency has raised alarms regarding this issue, noting that 90% of sextortion victims are boys aged 14 to 17. An awareness campaign has been launched to protect victims and deter the gangs’ operations effectively.

British teenage boys, notably from ages 14 and above, are increasingly becoming victims of sextortion schemes orchestrated by Nigerian crime gangs posing as young women. These gangs primarily target youths through social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram, luring them into sharing explicit images under the false pretense of mutual exchange. Following this, victims are threatened with exposure to family and friends unless they remit payment.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) reports that while most child sexual exploitation victims are female, an alarming 90% of sextortion victims are boys aged 14 to 17. The NCA has identified these criminal organizations in Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, and the Philippines. Marie Smith, a senior manager at the NCA’s child exploitation and online protection command, has described the situation as extremely disturbing, noting, “The majority of offenders we see are from West African countries.”

These gangs create fake profiles of young women to persuade boys to share indecent images, threatening them with immediate exposure if they do not pay a ransom. The impact is not limited to youths, as even adults have been victims, with some tragically resorting to suicide due to the fear of public humiliation. In response, the NCA has initiated an awareness campaign aimed at encouraging victims to remain calm and not to pay the blackmailers.

Marie Smith emphasizes, “Do not pay – stay calm. We can help. If you pay once, they will just demand more.” The NCA is collaborating with law enforcement in Nigeria to counteract this growing issue. NCA’s director of threat leadership, Alex Murray, noted that sextortion poses severe consequences for victims and aims to empower youth with the knowledge to navigate these dangers effectively.

Will Gardner, CEO of Childnet, highlighted the increasing trend of financial sextortion targeting teenagers, describing the modus operandi of these scams as a sequence of flirty exchanges leading to exploitation. Gardner remarked that what begins as a scam escalates into exploitation, declaring it “the financially motivated sexual extortion of young people organized by criminal gangs in different parts of the world.”

This comprehensive campaign from the NCA seeks to illuminate the risks associated with sextortion and provide essential guidance on how to protect against it.

In summary, the targeting of British teenage boys in sextortion plots by Nigerian crime gangs presents a growing threat. The National Crime Agency’s initiative aims to raise awareness and empower young individuals against such exploitation. Through collaborative efforts with international law enforcement, the agency seeks to combat these criminal activities efficiently. Preventative education remains crucial in ensuring that youths are equipped to recognize and report these schemes.

Original Source: www.lbc.co.uk