Online Safety Tips to Prevent Sextortion

1. Think Before You Share:
Avoid sending intimate content; once it’s out there, you lose control.

2. Secure Your Devices and Use Privacy Settings:
Keep software updated, use strong passwords, and enable two-factor authentication. Make social profiles private and limit who can see or contact you.

3. Know Who You’re Talking To:
Scammers pretend to be friends or love interests. Be cautious with new online contacts and don’t accept suspicious requests.

4. Don’t Give In:
If threatened, stop all contact. Do not comply. Scammers usually escalate.

5. Save Evidence, Don’t Delete:
Keep messages, usernames, and screenshots. This helps investigators.

6. Report It Immediately:
Contact your local police and report sextortion to platforms (like Instagram or Snapchat) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at CyberTipline.org.

Additional Resources:

1. TakeItDown.NCMEC.org - A free, anonymous service from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). It helps minors remove nude, partially nude, or sexually explicit images and videos of themselves from the internet.
2. StopNCII.org - A free, global tool operated by the Revenge Porn Helpline at SWGfL in partnership with Meta. It helps adults prevent the non-consensual sharing of intimate images by generating digital fingerprints to block or remove content from being shared online.

Resources for parents to prevent child exploitation: 

1. NetSmartz (NCMEC) – Educational tools and videos for parents and children on online safety.
2. Common Sense Media – Reviews and advice on apps, games, and media to help families make safe choices.