Matched, Manipulated, Blackmailed: How Sextortion Scams Target Young Men

Key points

• Australia's online safety regulator, eSafety, received 2,206 sextortion complaints between July and December 2025, most from men aged 18 to 24.
• Criminals known as the Yahoo Boys, operating out of Nigeria, are among the organised networks identified behind these scams.
• Artificial intelligence now lets criminals create fake explicit images of victims who never sent anything at all.
• Both survivors in this story refused to pay and reported the crime; neither had their images released.
• Australian Federal Police warn that prosecuting offenders is difficult because most operate from overseas.

Jack matched with someone on Hinge who seemed genuinely interested. Within minutes, the conversation had moved to Instagram. Within an hour, he was being blackmailed.

The pattern is called sextortion, which is a form of blackmail where criminals use real or faked sexual images to extort money, silence or compliance from a victim. It sounds niche. It is not.

How does the scam actually work?

Criminals create convincing fake profiles on dating apps and social media, build quick rapport, then steer the conversation toward exchanging intimate photos. Once a victim sends one, the threats arrive.

Jack described receiving a pre-written message almost immediately after sending an image. It included a screenshot showing a group chat set up with all his Instagram contacts, ready to receive his photo the moment he refused to pay.

"They were not overly pushy, but kind of encouraging," he told ABC News Australia. "At the time it felt like this person was genuinely interested and patient."

The patience was scripted. The profile was almost certainly fake.

Mateo's experience shows how far the scam has evolved. He accepted a Snapchat friend request from someone who appeared to have 40 mutual contacts and a high activity score, two signals that normally suggest a real account. Within seconds of accepting, he received threats alongside explicit images that had been fabricated using AI to make it look as though he had sent them himself.

He had never sent anything.

"My reputation, my relationships could be destroyed in a matter of seconds," he said.

Who is behind this, and can they be caught?

Prosecution is hard. Most offenders operate from other countries.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant identified two main sources: a network called the Yahoo Boys, based in Nigeria, and criminal call centres running sextortion operations in the evenings in cities including Manila and Delhi. Australian Federal Police commander Joanne Cameron confirmed that the overseas locations make arrest and prosecution extremely difficult.

Between July and December 2025, eSafety recorded 2,206 individual complaints in Australia alone. The majority came from men aged 18 to 24, though Inman Grant flagged growing concern about boys as young as 14 and 15 being targeted.

AI is making recruitment easier for the criminals. Fake personas are cheaper to build, and fabricated explicit images require no cooperation from the victim at all.

What should you do if this happens to you?

Do not pay. Both Jack and Mateo initially considered it; both decided against it. Neither had images released.

Commander Cameron's advice, step by step:

• Stop all contact with the person immediately.
• Screenshot their profile, the platform name, and any messages as evidence.
• Report the account to the platform directly.
• Report to police.

Jack called his best friend while stalling the scammer on the phone, feeding details to police in real time. He also made a deliberate decision not to feel ashamed, which he credits with taking power away from his blackmailer.

Mateo reported to police in 2023. His scammer was not charged, but the threats stopped once he disengaged.

If you or someone you know needs support, eSafety's website carries reporting tools and crisis contacts for victims of image-based abuse.