‘Sextortion’ Schemes on the Rise: How You Can Protect Yourself

A phenomenon called “sextortion” is on the rise. A study has found that 65 percent of Gen Z teens and young adults worldwide are victims of these malicious schemes. The report comes from Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc. The swindles include using catfishing scams or hacking to blackmail young people. Scammers often demand money or more explicit images in exchange for not releasing the content to the victim’s friends and family. I wanted to learn more about how you can protect yourself, so I spoke with an expert.