On Safer Internet Day, FBI Warns About the Dangers of Sextortion Schemes Against Minors
February 10, 2026 - On this Safer Internet Day 2026, the FBI is warning the public about the dangers of sextortion schemes.
Sextortion can happen to anyone at any time, but the FBI has noticed an increase in the number of cases of sextortion against minors in recent years. Sextortion is when an adult convinces a person who is younger than 18-years old to share sexual pictures or perform sexual acts on camera for them. It can happen on any site, app, messaging platform, or game where people meet and communicate.
“These types of crimes are some of the most abhorrent we work at the FBI and we’ve committed a large number of resources to combat this effort. But we can’t do it alone – all can help stem the tide of child exploitation by raising awareness in our communities of the dangers that children face online. On this safer internet day, we can all commit to making the internet safer for the kids in our lives,” said FBI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Josh Delmanzo.
Often, sextortion schemes start when young people believe they are communicating with someone their own age who is interested in a relationship or with someone who is offering something of value. After the criminals have one or more videos or pictures, they threaten to publish that content, or they threaten violence, to get the victim to produce more images. The shame, fear, and confusion children feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.
The motivation of the offender can also be financial. The FBI has seen an increase in financial sextortion where the offender receives sexually explicit material from the child and then threatens to release the material unless the child sends money and/or gift cards. Paying the requested money or gift cards does not ensure the offender won’t still release the compromising material and oftentimes the offender will still do so after receiving payment.
Caretakers and young people should know how the crime occurs and openly discuss online safety. Situations like these can feel really confusing to child victims, as offenders count on their victims feeling unsure, scared, or embarrassed to tell someone. The cycle of victimization continues because children are afraid – afraid of the repercussions threatened by the criminal and afraid they will be in trouble with their parents, guardians, or law enforcement. It’s important for the victim to know they are not the one in trouble.
If young people are being exploited, they are the victim of a crime and should report it. Victims can contact FBI Kansas City by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or reporting online at tips.fbi.gov.
The FBI also has staff dedicated to assisting victims of crime. The Child Victim Services Program at the FBI provides support to child victims and witnesses of federal crimes through investigative forensic interviews. The team is focused on ensuring that any interactions with child victims or witnesses are tailored to the child's stage of development and minimize any additional trauma to the child. The FBI’s Victim assistance program has provided services – such as crisis intervention, emergency travel assistance, and local referrals for counseling, housing, and other services – to nearly 2 million victims since 2001.
Awareness and sensible safety practices online, along with a willingness to ask for help, can help put an end to online exploitation. Children should do the following:
- Be selective about what they share online. If their social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about them.
- Be wary of anyone they encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if they meet someone on one game or app and this person asks them to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content they create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually "disappears" online. Once they send something, they don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If they are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If they have been victimized online, they should tell someone.
How can I talk to my kids about sextortion?
Here are conversations you can have with your kids or kids you know:
- When you’re online, has anyone you don’t know ever tried to contact or talk to you?
- What did you do or what would you do if that happened?
- Why do you think someone would want to reach a kid online?
- You know, it’s easy to pretend to be someone you’re not online and not every person is a good person. Make sure you block or ignore anything that comes in from someone you don’t know in real life.
- Has anyone you know ever sent a picture of themselves that got passed around school or a team or club?
- What’s possible anytime you send someone a picture?
- What if that picture were embarrassing?
- Can you think about how someone could use that kind of picture against a person?
- I read an article today about kids being pressured to send images and video of their bodies to a person they met online. Have you ever heard about anything like that? Sometimes they were being threatened and harassed—scary stuff.
- You know, if you are ever feeling like something is going on—online or off—that feels scary or wrong or over your head, my first concern is going to be helping you. You can always come to me.
To report suspected sextortion, call the nearest FBI field office or 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324). To make a CyberTipline Report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), visit report.cybertip.org.
The following resources are also available for parents, caregivers and those that deal with youth:
NCMEC – The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, whose mission is to help find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. NCMEC works with families, victims, private industry, law enforcement, and the public to assist with preventing child abductions, recovering missing children, and providing services to deter and combat child sexual exploitation.
Take it Down Program – A one step guide (hosted by NCMEC) to help remove sexually explicit photos of yourself or your child from the internet.
Parental Guide – A guide to sextortion for parents, caregivers, and educators.
How to Talk to Children and Teens About Sextortion
NetSmartz – Games and Videos for Children on online safety.
FBI Kansas City
Public Affairs Specialist Dixon Land
(816) 512-8200
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
