The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has raised concerns over Nigerian and West African crime gangs targeting British teenage boys in online sextortion scams. These gangs, posing as young women on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, manipulate victims into sending explicit images before blackmailing them with exposure threats.
The NCA’s Child Exploitation Unit, led by Marie Smith, highlighted the rapid and aggressive nature of these scams, with victims sometimes given mere minutes to pay. The agency is collaborating with Nigerian authorities to combat the growing threat.
NCA Director Alex Murray warned of the devastating impact of sextortion, including cases of suicide. The agency has launched a campaign to educate young boys about the risks and encourage reporting. In 2024 alone, the NCA received 380 reports of sextortion, underscoring the crime’s increasing prevalence.
A notable case involved Nigerian brothers sentenced in the U.S. for coercing and blackmailing a victim, who tragically took his own life. Authorities continue efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.
