Teen boys blackmailed by gangs in 'sextortion' scams - as victims given new advice on what to do
Wednesday, 19 March 2025 () Teenage boys in the UK are being blackmailed by Nigerian crime gangs that pose as young women online - with the National Crime Agency offering advice on what victims should do.
The director general for threats in the National Crime Agency says he is "very concerned" about online networks of predominantly teenage boys that are inflicting harm and committing a range of criminality. James Babbage adds that the threats teenage boys are predominantly involved with include cyber crime, fraud, child sexual abuse and commissioning violence across the internet, and that their victims tend to be young girls. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
The home secretary says she is "really worried" about "dangerous" criminal networks drawing in teenagers online. Yvette Cooper adds, "the National Crime Agency is making this a priority and we are strengthening the law so that the organisers of these criminal networks could face up to 10 years in jail". Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn