• Latest
UK Issues Alert as Global ‘Sextortion’ Scams Double

UK Issues Alert as Global ‘Sextortion’ Scams Double

1 year ago
Uganda to Host NAM Midterm Ministerial Review Next Week

Uganda to Host NAM Midterm Ministerial Review Next Week

2 hours ago
3rd Stanbic Summit Charts Course for East Africa’s Growth and Resilience

3rd Stanbic Summit Charts Course for East Africa’s Growth and Resilience

2 hours ago
Uganda, Russia Deepen Trade & Tech Ties as Makerere Seals Academic Pact

Uganda, Russia Deepen Trade & Tech Ties as Makerere Seals Academic Pact

2 hours ago
Uganda and Somalia Seal New Pacts on Security, Education and Immigration

Uganda and Somalia Seal New Pacts on Security, Education and Immigration

3 hours ago
City Festival: Kiira Motors, KCCA to Offer Free Electric Rides

City Festival: Kiira Motors, KCCA to Offer Free Electric Rides

3 hours ago
St. Julian Students Name and Nurture Trees in Equity Bank’s 1,000-Tree Campaign

St. Julian Students Name and Nurture Trees in Equity Bank’s 1,000-Tree Campaign

3 hours ago
SoftPower News
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women
No Result
View All Result
SoftPower News
No Result
View All Result
Home International News

UK Issues Alert as Global ‘Sextortion’ Scams Double

by Muhamadi Byemboijana
April 30, 2024
UK Issues Alert as Global ‘Sextortion’ Scams Double
22
VIEWS

An unprecedented alert on sextortion scams targeting teenagers has been sent out to British teachers after the number of reported cases doubled in a year.

Officials at the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) issued the warning on Monday, highlighting the “devastating’’ impact the scams can have on young people duped into handing over intimate photos.

Related Stories

Uganda to Host NAM Midterm Ministerial Review Next Week

3rd Stanbic Summit Charts Course for East Africa’s Growth and Resilience

Uganda, Russia Deepen Trade & Tech Ties as Makerere Seals Academic Pact

Sextortion is blackmail where criminals threaten to release nude or semi-nude photos of someone, either real or fake, unless the victim pays them.

The number of global cases reported to the U.S. National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children has doubled from 10,731 in 2022 to 26,718 in 2023.

This has been common with a large proportion of victims being boys aged between 14 and 18 years.

Nine out of 10, or 91 per cent, UK cases dealt with in 2023 by the Internet Watch Foundation, a UK-based campaign group, concerned male victims, the NCA said.

Gangs based in some west African countries and South-East Asia were targeting young people overseas, especially in English-speaking countries such as the UK, U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

They often posed as another young person, making contact on social media before moving to encrypted messaging apps and encouraging the victim to share intimate images.

The gangs in this type of crime were motivated by extorting as much money as possible rather than sexual gratification, the NCA said.

Its Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) education team on Monday issued guidance to teachers about spotting the signs of this type of abuse, supporting young people and encouraging them to seek help.

It also included guidance for parents and carers on how to talk to children about sextortion and how to support them if they become a victim, with the aim of taking away the stigma.

Advice included not to pay, to stop communication and block the offender, but to avoid deleting anything that could be used as evidence and to report incidents to the police or CEOP.

James Babbage, NCA director-general for threats, said: “Sextortion causes immeasurable stress and anguish; we know there are adults and young people who have devastatingly taken their own lives as a result.

“A lot of victims feel responsible but we need them to know this is absolutely not the case; you are not to blame, and help and support is available.’’

Marie Smith, the NCA head of CEOP education, said falling prey to the scams has a devastating impact on the children’s lives and those of their families.

She said of the criminals: “they’re extremely malicious; they do not care about that child or that child’s life.

“This is why it’s an alert more so than part of our broader education programme because of this callousness that we’re seeing, it’s extremely dangerous.’’

The criminals work quickly, with some blackmail demands being made within only an hour of first making contact with a young person.

Security minister, Tom Tugendhat, said sextortion destroys lives.

“It is often driven by highly sophisticated organised crime groups who exploit vulnerable people for profit.

“It’s vital that technology companies take responsibility for the safety of their users by implementing stronger safeguards on their platforms.

“I will urge parents to talk to their children about their use of social media.

“Even sites that many assume to be safe may pose a risk,’’ he said. The Nation Newspaper.

Tags: MuseveniNewsSextortionSoftPowerSoftPower NewsTop NewsTop News UgandaTop Uganda NewsUgandaUnited Kingdom

Recent Stories

Uganda to Host NAM Midterm Ministerial Review Next Week

3rd Stanbic Summit Charts Course for East Africa’s Growth and Resilience

Uganda, Russia Deepen Trade & Tech Ties as Makerere Seals Academic Pact

Uganda and Somalia Seal New Pacts on Security, Education and Immigration

City Festival: Kiira Motors, KCCA to Offer Free Electric Rides

St. Julian Students Name and Nurture Trees in Equity Bank’s 1,000-Tree Campaign

SoftPower News Logo

SoftPower News is a subsidiary of SoftPower Communications LLC, a Ugandan digital media group. Keep posted of the latest from Uganda and East Africa.
Plot 4B Malcolm X, Kololo
P.O Box 1497, Kampala - Uganda
Tel: +256-392-001-701
Email: info@softpower.ug

This news site is licenced by Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Regional
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More

© SoftPower News

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

error: Content is protected
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Tourism & Travel
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
    • Fashion
  • Regional
    • Kenya
    • Rwanda
    • Tanzania
    • Burundi
    • South Sudan
    • DR Congo
  • Defence & Security
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Africa
    • Columnists
    • Education
    • Health
      • COVID-19
    • International News
    • News in Pictures
    • OpEd
    • Pearl Of Africa
    • People
    • Politics
    • Special Reports
    • Women

© SoftPower News

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?