Netsafe is reporting a significant increase in sextortion with threats up a “frightening” 68% in the first three months of this year, and victims as young as 9.

An increase in deepfake images created by AI software, younger victims being targeted, and the rise of organised crime groups is changing the landscape of sextortion in New Zealand.

There were 667 reports of sextortion made to internet safety watchdog Netsafe between January and March. Last year, Netsafe received 2250 total reports.

Sextortion is when someone threatens to share a nude image or sexually explicit video of a person unless they pay them or provide more sexual content.

The 22-40 age group was most affected by sextortion threats, making up 12% of total reports to Netsafe.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards of the National Criminal Investigations Group said this year they had seen instances of children as young as 9 being targeted by sextortion.

“From a police perspective, we have seen and continue to see, money as the primary motivator for blackmail in the form of sextortion.

“We do, however, also acknowledge that this crime type is often underreported, and some people may not feel comfortable reporting the matter to police.”

Netsafe chief online safety officer Sean Lyons said they had dealt with a sextortion case for a child between 5-12 years old.

Crime groups behind sextortion rise

Lyons said the rise in sextortion threats was likely to be emerging from organised crime groups outside of New Zealand.

“They are coming from very anonymous email addresses or private cryptic messaging apps; they come and go very quickly, and shift and change platforms.

“It is very frightening.”

The type of threats had shifted from individual perpetrators seeking further sexual content from victims or “revenge porn”, into criminal groups seeking financial gain through wire transfers or cryptocurrency.

“The straight financial extortion would suggest that rather than individuals, it’s more organised crime networks,” Lyons said.

“I imagine we’re at the point with some places having call-centre type sextortion operations.”

Richards said financially motivated sextortion still accounted for the most referrals received by NZ Police presently.

“We do see instances where further sexual content is requested and with the emerging threat of sadistic online exploitation, a lean towards more depraved acts.”

A recent Herald investigation uncovered how extremist groups are targeting New Zealand children to perform violent acts.

Auckland Sexual Abuse HELP Foundation executive director and clinical psychologist Kathryn McPhillips said victims of sextortion often dealt with self-blame or feelings of being violated.

“Certainly, we’re seeing this as a growing issue.

“We see it as a form of sexual abuse, and the feelings are very similar: that sense of exposure, having your control taken away from you, that panic.”

Impact of AI deepfake images

Lyons said AI deepfake images were having a significant impact on sextortion because criminals could now produce photorealistic sexual content of a victim for the purpose of blackmail.

“We used to think if you never made an image like that, or sat in front of an webcam and recorded an intimate sexual act, then that content could never be used against you.

“If you knew those images didn’t exist, that threat became meaningless... AI changes that.”

A scandal last year surrounding a flurry of deepfake pornographic images of Taylor Swift on X highlighted the risk of the dissemination of false AI-generated content.

Richards said police had observed an increase in the use of evolving and improving AI deepfakes in sextortion threats.

“We want to remind the public of the need to exercise caution when uploading any images publicly onto the internet, and ask them to regularly review their privacy settings and who has access to their content.”

McPhillips said sextortion was extremely distressing and could lead to a person withdrawing from their friends or family.

“Being in control of how you appear online and the content that appears about you is important to people, so it’s that sense of being absolutely exposed.

“Young people can feel like they’re dealing with this completely alone.”

What to do if you are targeted?

It is important for victims of sextortion to act quickly, when possible, to contact a support agency like Netsafe which can help to remove images or harmful online content.

• Stop engaging immediately – Do not send any more images or money, even if they make threats.
• Save everything. Take screenshots and keep all messages. This evidence can help stop them.
• Block their profile and report the content on the platform it was shared.
• Seek help – Contact Netsafe for confidential, judgment-free support. You don’t have to deal with this alone.
• Report to Police – Call 105 for non-emergencies or 111 if you feel at immediate risk.
• Advice for parents worried about child sextortion
• Know what platforms, apps, and games your young person is using and who they’re interacting with.
• Make online safety a regular conversation. Let them know they can come to you for help.
• Check privacy settings – Turn off location sharing, set profiles to private, and set up family pairing functions.
• Fear of losing phone or internet access can stop kids from asking for help. Reassure them they won’t be punished for speaking up.
• Sextortion can be distressing and can have lasting effects. If your child is a victim of online exploitation, they need your support.