Sextortion
Risk flagA form of blackmail where someone obtains explicit images or videos of a person (often a minor) and then threatens to share them unless the victim pays money or sends more content.
Sextortion targeting teens has increased significantly. It often starts on gaming platforms or social media with a stranger posing as a peer. They gain trust, request or obtain an image, then immediately threaten exposure. If your child tells you this has happened, the response is: do not pay, save the evidence, contact police and NCMEC (1-800-843-5678).
Yes — take "Sextortion" seriously. Terms in this category show up in contact between kids and people trying to exploit them. Seeing it in your kid's messages doesn't prove the worst, but it warrants a calm look at who they're talking to.
- Don’t confront in anger — ask who they’re talking to online, and look together.
- If an unknown adult is involved: screenshot everything, block, and report it to the platform — and to the NCMEC CyberTipline (CyberTipline.org) if anything sexual was requested or sent.
- Run a 30-second check on the apps involved Is it safe? checker →