It begins, almost invariably, with a ping: a new friend request, a message on Instagram, a DM from someone who looks like a classmate or a crush. For most American teenagers, this is the digital fabric of everyday life—unremarkable, even routine. Yet, increasingly, these unassuming notifications mark the opening moves in a criminal scheme whose mechanics have evolved far beyond what most parents and schools are prepared to confront.
The rise of “sextortion”—the act of threatening to release private or sexual images unless the victim complies with financial or further sexual demands—is not, in itself, a new phenomenon. What is new, according to law enforcement and cybersecurity experts, is how these crimes are being executed: with greater speed, sophistication, and, most troubling of all, with technology that blurs the line between truth and fiction.
The New Face of Sextortion
Until recently, the standard advice from adults was as simple as it was earnest: don’t share nude photos. Don’t engage with strangers online. If something goes wrong, tell a parent or teacher.
But the landscape has shifted. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children now reports a dramatic rise in cases involving deepfakes—images or videos generated by artificial intelligence to appear indistinguishable from reality. In one recent review, the organization found that roughly one in ten reported sextortion cases involved images that victims never actually took or shared themselves. “In many instances,” says Lauren Coffren, executive director of NCMEC’s Exploited Children Division, “the child is shocked to learn that a compromising image of them even exists.”
These are not the fuzzy forgeries of early internet hoaxes. Today’s deepfakes can be created in minutes, using nothing more than a profile photo scraped from social media and off-the-shelf AI tools. Scammers can fabricate explicit images—sometimes videos—that bear an unsettling resemblance to the victim, and then wield them as blackmail.
Why the Old Rules Don’t Work
This technological leap has outpaced the advice that parents, educators, and even most digital safety guides still circulate. “Don’t send nudes” is moot when the image can be manufactured without the child’s knowledge. “Don’t talk to strangers” is less practical when the entire social world of a teenager is built around online connection.
According to the FBI, these schemes overwhelmingly target teenage boys—many of whom, research shows, are less likely to seek help when caught in an extortion trap. Messages begin innocuously, often from someone posing as a teenage girl. The conversation quickly escalates to the exchange of intimate images, or, in the case of deepfakes, the sudden revelation that images have already been created. From there, the tactics are chillingly consistent: relentless messages, threats to share images with friends or family, and a demand for payment—sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars.
“These are not isolated actors,” says Melissa Stroebel, vice president at the nonprofit Thorn. “We’re talking about organized criminal groups overseas, using technology that lets them target and terrorize dozens, sometimes hundreds, of kids a day.”
The Hidden Toll
For many parents, the first sign that something is wrong comes too late. The speed at which these scams unfold—often in the course of a single evening—leaves little room for intervention. The secrecy and shame surrounding these crimes only magnify the danger.
In some of the most tragic cases, teens have died by suicide mere hours after being targeted, their sense of future erased by threats and humiliation. The stories have become alarmingly common: a beloved athlete in Ohio, a straight-A student in Michigan, a volunteer at a local church in Minnesota—all lost to a crime that, by its nature, thrives in the shadows.
Rethinking the Conversation
So what can families do?
Experts say that the most important shift is not in technology, but in culture: an end to the reflexive shaming of young people, and the creation of what some call “amnesty policies” at home. “Your message to your child has to be: no matter what happens, you can come to me,” says Dr. Katie Hurley, senior director at The Jed Foundation. “The only thing that matters is keeping you safe.”
Families are also encouraged to talk candidly—early and often—about the realities of digital life. Not just the dangers of sharing images, but the existence of deepfakes, the tactics of scammers, and the importance of reaching out for help without fear of punishment.
The threat, experts warn, is not going away. As long as social platforms remain central to teenage life, and as long as AI tools proliferate, sextortion will adapt. The best defense, for now, is not a piece of software, but a conversation—one that makes clear: you are not alone, and you are not to blame.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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