Sextortion stories

Over one million students worldwide have completed KnowBe4's cyber security training, boosting digital safety awareness for teens aged 16 and above.

KnowBe4's Student Edition has trained one million students worldwide in cyber safety, enhancing online protection and campus security cultures.

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting open-source Stealerium malware to steal sensitive data, prompting warnings from Proofpoint researchers of new attack methods.

Cyber scams in New Zealand have surged 77,721% amid rising AI use and crypto fraud, with sextortion and phishing attacks also sharply increasing in Q2 2025.

Fake pharmacies and AI-powered scams surge in UK cyber threats, with over 5,000 bogus sites and a 340% rise in financial scams targeting users.

Sextortion scams are surging globally, with New Zealand reporting a staggering 137% increase in 2025, driven by AI and recent data breaches.

Moody's highlights a six-year high in romance scams, unveiling 1,193 new entities globally in 2024, with the US leading at 38% of cases.

Netsafe's Annual Report reveals a sharp rise in online threats in New Zealand, urging urgent reforms to the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

Australian telecom leaders unite to tackle tech-facilitated abuse, reinforcing their commitment during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

New Barracuda research reveals a surge in personalised sextortion attacks, where cybercriminals leverage victims' personal data for increased blackmail pressure.

Snapchat unveils new safety features to combat sextortion and bullying, ensuring young users in New Zealand and beyond are better protected online.

Check Point Research is warning of a new variant of Phorpiex, a botnet known for sextortion and crypto-jacking.

An investigation into sextortion by Sophos uncovered a criminal underworld where funds, totalling USD $500,000, supported a range of illicit activities.