Stop organized crime. Across British Columbia, sextortion is putting youth at risk — Teens of all genders are affected, but males between the ages of 14-18 are specifically targeted. It often begins with a message online, and quickly turns into blackmail. Boys are often coerced into sending money, while girls are more frequently pressured to share more images. Organized criminals use fear and shame to pressure young people into sending money or increasingly explicit images.
Talk with your kids, stay alert, and help them report it. Together, we can stop organized crime.
How Sextortion Works
Organized criminal groups use a predictable pattern to target youth online. They create fake profiles to trick and trap victims into sharing intimate images or secretly record them, then reveal their true intent. Once they have content, they threaten to expose it unless the victim pays money, sends more images, or complies with further demands.
But here’s what they don’t want you to know:
- You’re not alone.
- You won’t be in trouble.
- You have the power to stop it.
If you or someone you know is being threatened:
- Stop all communication.
- Don’t send anything more.
- Save the evidence.
- Report to your local police or reach out to Cybertip.ca.
Cybertip.ca is Canada’s tipline for reporting online child sexual exploitation. Run by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, it helps protect children and supports law enforcement nationwide.
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