Financial Crime Investigation Techniques Shed Light on Virgin Islands’ Sextortion Epidemic

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The U.S. Virgin Islands - The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has issued a national public safety alert regarding an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money, a crime known as financial sextortion.

A Growing Crisis

According to the FBI, over 7,000 reports have been received related to the online financial sextortion of minors, resulting in at least 3,000 victims, primarily boys, and more than a dozen suicides. The majority of these sextortion schemes originate outside of the United States, with a significant percentage coming from West African countries such as Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

Prevention is Key

As winter break approaches, law enforcement officials are urging parents and caregivers to engage with their children about financial sextortion schemes in order to prevent them from occurring. The FBI Director Christopher Wray emphasized that “many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers” and urged parents and caregivers to work with the FBI to prevent this crime before it happens.

How Sextortion Schemes Work

Financial sextortion schemes typically occur on online platforms where young people feel most comfortable, such as social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications. Predators often use fake female accounts to target minor males between the ages of 14-17, but cases involving victims as young as 10 years old have also been reported.

The Dangers of Sextortion

Through deception, predators convince the young person to produce an explicit video or photo and then threaten to release the compromising material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. The shame, fear, and confusion that victims feel when they are caught in this cycle often prevents them from asking for help or reporting the abuse.

Resources Available

However, officials stress that victims are not alone and that there is help available. Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, emphasized that “the best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they’re targeted online.” The FBI’s National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) has outlined steps parents and young people can take if they are victims of sextortion, including reporting the predator’s account, blocking the predator, and seeking help from trusted adults or law enforcement.

Take Action

If you or your child is a victim of sextortion, officials encourage you to report it to the FBI’s National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). For more information on how to prevent and address sextortion, visit fbi.gov/StopSextortion.