Fresh warning about sexploitation scam targeting Australian teens

Police are urging parents to talk to their children about online financial sexploitation after a big spike in cases over the school holidays.

Police have warned about a surge in the online financial sexploitation of Australian children and teens as they attempt to break the culture of silence.

The Australian Federal Police said that in December there had been a 60 per cent rise in reports of overseas criminal groups targeting young Australian victims.

Statistics from the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCE) show that sexploitation scammers primarily target teenage boys, with 90 per cent of reports coming from males.

The AFP has launched an awareness campaign as it’s suspected that many victims do not come forward because of shame and embarrassment.

“We are seeing offshore criminal syndicates targeting a victim’s entire friend list,” AFP acting Assistant Commissioner Hilda Sirec said.

“This type of financial sextortion involves victims being coerced into sending sexualised images or videos of themselves by online offenders, usually with the offender pretending to be another young person.

“The offender then threatens to on-share the content to others unless the victim pays.”

Police are warning about a spike in sexploitation scammers targeting Australian teens.

Assistant Commissioner Sirec said that it was attempting to educate young people who are victims of online child sexual exploitation that they would not be in trouble if they come forward.

The AFP on Sunday issued a fresh warning as schools get set to resume and said that they suspected the exploitation of children was far greater than what was being reported.

Assistant Commissioner Sirec said they wanted young people to talk openly with their friends, parents, carers and educators about financial sextortion.

The AFP says that online child sexual exploitation can cause fear and trauma and has been associated with self-harm and they wanted victims to feel as if they can come forward.

Parents are being encouraged to talk to their teens. Picture: iStock

“Some victims are unwilling to report the abuse and even deny that anything has happened if identified and contacted by police because they may feel a sense of shame or embarrassment,” acting Assistant Commissioner Sirec said.

“If your child is or has been a victim, please reassure them that it‘s not their fault and that there is help available through the ACCCE and our partners.”

Victims of sextortion can make a report with the ACCE online through www.accce.gov.au/report.

Anyone who becomes aware of naked or sexual images being shared online can make a report through eSafety.gov.au/report.