Crime Gangs Are Running Bot-Powered Sextortion Factories. Young Men Are the Target.
Organised criminal networks are using AI-generated fake personas, automated accounts, and psychological pressure to extort young men out of thousands of dollars. South Australia alone lost $217,000 in a single year.
Key points
- South Australia Police recorded 220 male sextortion victims in the 2025-26 financial year, up from 170 the year before.
- Financial losses from sextortion in South Australia reached $217,000 in 2025-26, including one victim who was extorted $53,000.
- Male victims, mostly under 25, made up roughly 90 per cent of sextortion reports nationally, according to Australia's eSafety Commissioner.
- Around two in five adolescent victims have had ordinary photos of themselves run through AI tools to produce sexualised fakes.
- More than one in ten Australians aged 16 to 18 reported experiencing sexual extortion in their lifetime, according to the Australian Institute of Criminology.
Sextortion, where criminals trick someone into sharing intimate images and then demand money or more material under threat of public exposure, is not a new crime. What is new is the scale, the automation, and the sophistication of the people running it.
And the target, consistently, is young men.
Who is behind this, and how does it work?
Organised crime gangs, not lone strangers, are driving most of these cases. Researchers and police are clear on that point.
Gangs like the Nigeria-based network known as the Yahoo Boys create fake profiles on platforms like Tinder, Instagram, and Grindr. Those profiles are often generated automatically using software scripts, meaning one gang can run hundreds of fake accounts at once. UNSW cybersecurity researcher Dr Rahat Masood describes the setup plainly: the bots build the accounts, a human steps in once a real victim is engaged, and the conversation then moves to encrypted apps like WhatsApp or Telegram where it is harder to trace.
AI does a lot of heavy lifting. The eSafety Commissioner, Australia's government office for online safety, says scammers use AI image generation, face-swapping tools, and voice-cloning software to make fake personas look and sound convincing. Intimate photos and identity details stolen from previous victims are recycled to build credibility with new targets.
Once a victim shares an intimate image, the demand arrives fast. Pay up, or the image goes to family, friends, and employers.
Should young men and their families be worried?
Yes, and talking about it openly is the most useful thing a family can do right now.
Nicola Palfrey, Head of Clinical Practice at youth mental health organisation Headspace Australia, says the consequences can be devastating. Documented cases exist where young people have taken their own lives after feeling cornered by escalating threats. Palfrey frames online safety conversations the same way as puberty talks or relationship advice: ongoing, calm, and matter-of-fact.
Dr Masood argues the response also needs to go into classrooms, starting at primary school level, so young people recognise these tactics before they encounter them.
| Fact | Figure | Period / Source |
|---|---|---|
| SA male sextortion victims | 220 | 2025-26, SA Police |
| Previous year victims | 170 | 2024-25, SA Police |
| Total SA financial losses | $217,000 | 2025-26, SA Police |
| Largest single victim loss | $53,000 | 2025-26, SA Police |
| Male share of sextortion reports (national) | ~90% | eSafety Commissioner |
| Adolescents with AI-faked images | 2 in 5 | AIC report |
If you or someone you know is targeted: do not pay. Paying rarely stops the demands. Report to SA Police or the eSafety Commissioner, block the account, and contact Headspace or a trusted adult for support. As first reported by ABC News Australia, SA Police Cybercrime Sergeant David Mitchell put it directly: "These offenders deliberately exploit fear, embarrassment and urgency, and we want victims to know they should not give in to those demands."
Common questions
What should I do if I receive one of these threats?
Do not send money and do not send more images. Screenshot the messages for evidence, block the account, report it to police or the eSafety Commissioner, and tell someone you trust.
Can the AI-generated fake images be removed?
The eSafety Commissioner has legal powers to order platforms to remove non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated ones. Filing a report with the Commissioner is the fastest formal route to getting that content taken down.
