Warning over surge in online 'sextortion scams' targeting Preston teens and adults
Guardii Analysis
Lancashire Police has warned residents of a surge in sextortion reports across Preston, with 39 cases of online blackmail recorded in the three-month period between July 1 and October 13, 2024. UK law enforcement agencies received an average of 117 monthly reports of sexual extortion from under-18s in the first five months of 2024, according to the National Crime Agency, while the Internet Watch Foundation identified a 72 percent increase in children and young people reporting experiences of sexual extortion between the first half of 2024 and the same period in 2025. Offenders typically create fake online profiles, build trust with victims before persuading them to share intimate images, then use the images to threaten, intimidate and demand money through apps such as Ria and Bitcoin.
A world-leading AI online-safety platform backed by Startmate, Guardii intercepts sextortion before the first image is sent. Its anti-sextortion detection module identifies sustained targeting, flattery escalating to requests for imagery, and the shift to coercion and payment demands in real time across Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, Roblox and other platforms. Rather than reviewing every message, Guardii reports the shape and seriousness of a conversation, surfacing a child under immediate threat to a parent or safeguarding professional and blocking the hostile contact before the child is compromised. Where police issue warnings after dozens of reports have accumulated, Guardii flags the pattern at case one.