sextortion

noun

sex·tor·tion ˌsek-ˈstȯr-shən

: extortion in which a perpetrator threatens to expose sexually compromising information (such as sexually explicit private images or videos of the victim) unless the victim meets certain demands

Sextortion is when an online predator tricks someone into giving them nude images or videos, and then demands money, more images, or makes other demands—threatening to share the images with the victim's friends and family if they don't comply.—

bradfordtoday.ca

Sextortion is a crime that is now sweeping the web, from organized criminal groups operating overseas to cyber-bullies at the local high school.—

The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, California)

Two male high school students in an Allegan County school district were recent victims of sextortion—a form of online sexual exploitation that typically occurs against kids ages 10-17.—

Sherri Kolade

Deling used text messages and social media platforms, including Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Kik and Skype, in the sextortion scheme against girls between the ages of 11 and 17, prosecutors say.—

Chacour Koop

Examples of sextortion in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Romance fraud, business email compromise, investment scams, sextortion—the list of ways criminals prey on people is virtually endless and constantly changing. —

Matt Burgess, WIRED, 25 Dec. 2024 Meanwhile, Instagram will display an in-feed sextortion education PSA to users across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia. —

Angela Yang, NBC News, 17 Oct. 2024 The most common online extortion scam is sextortion. —

Alex Vakulov, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 This is the toughest enforcement action against a financial sextortion from a social media company to-date. —

Sam Sabin, Axios, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for sextortion