Campaigners want all-island approach to tackle threat of 'sextortion'

Anti-stalking campaigners described as 'shocking' the high number of reports to the PSNI of sextortion per month and said there were probably many other cases that go unreported.

Anti-stalking campaigners have welcomed a police campaign highlighting the threat from 'sextortion'.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has urged people to be wary of the “amorous advances of online fraudsters”.

Launching its campaign on St Valentine’s Day, the PSNI said it received an average of between 35 and 40 reports of sextortion per month.

Sextortion refers to online blackmail regarding images of an intimate or sexual nature.

PSNI Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney said: “Typically, a person uses a false identity to befriend a victim via social media. The exchange may start with flirting and flattery but ends with the victim coaxed into sending intimate images or performing sexual acts online, unwittingly in front of a camera.

“Behind the fake and attractive persona, there’s a criminal. These people are often part of sophisticated and organised crime groups, mostly based overseas. They extort their victims by threatening to share those images or recordings unless demands for money are met.

Innocent people are left feeling humiliated and distressed, but the important message is that help is available.” 

Commenting, Eve McDowell of Stalking Ireland, said: “It is brilliant to see the PSNI take initiative to make the public aware of sextortion. Choosing to launch the campaign on Valentine’s Day is effective, as even more people may turn to online relationships on this day.” 

She described as “shocking” the high number of reports to the PSNI of sextortion per month and said there were probably many other cases that go unreported.

“Criminals who carry out this heinous blackmailing are cunning and use sophisticated tactics in order to manipulate victims,” she said.

“It is also worth noting that this also happens to victims who know their perpetrators, it is not always a catfish, it can sometimes be an ex-partner, ex-friend or acquaintance, and this is a form of image-based sexual abuse.” 

Catfishing is when someone sets up a fake online profile to trick people who are looking for love, usually to get money.

The PSNI figures showed that 94% of the overall reports were from men and that the most targeted group was men aged 18 to 29, accounting for almost half of the total reported incidents.

The chilling statistics show that young men are being targeted, so it’s important for them to know that they are a victim of crime, that they can go to the police and that there is advice there.”

Ms McDowell added: “It would be great for An Garda Síochána to start highlighting this in a campaign also, I'd like to know what the statistics are for reports of sextortion in the Republic. We need an all-island approach to tackle issues such as this."

In response, the Garda Press Office said the Department of Justice launched a service in conjunction with Hotline.ie whereby people can report an incident of intimate image abuse (IIA) through the Hotline.ie website.

“IIA is the sharing or threatening to share an intimate image without consent, however, does not refer solely to what is defined as ‘sextortion’,” the press office said in a statement.

“Through this reporting service, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) acts as the point of contact for Hotline when reporting incidents of IIA to An Garda Síochána.” It said that from September 2021 to date, GNPSB was in receipt of 31 IIA reports from Hotline.ie.

“Again, it is emphasised that these referrals relate to offences across the spectrum of those created under the above-mentioned Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020,” the statement said.