Online sextortion : characteristics of offences from a decade of community reporting

Online sextortion is an organised form of blackmail which can have a serious financial and traumatic impact on its victims. Responding to a dearth of evidence about this crime, this study analyses patterns within a large dataset of over 23,000 anonymous victim reports, collected via an online support community. Using common responses within these reports, this study identifies the most typical patterns of offending, including the profile assumed by offenders, the platforms through which the offence is initiated and enabled, payment methods and amounts demanded, and the national origins of most offences. Analysis shows that the mix of social media and dating platforms being used to approach and communicate with victims is changing over time, but the tactics employed by offenders are remarkably standardised. Payment demands involved in the crime were previously centralised in a few key service providers, but are increasingly diversifying. The variety of platforms involved in online sextortion points towards enforcement and safeguarding challenges, motivating an analysis of common risk factors that can inform the design of broadly-applicable countermeasures.