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“If U Don't Pay they will Share the Pics”: Exploring Sextortion in the Context of Romance Fraud

Cross, Cassandra ; Holt, Karen ; O'Malley, Roberta Liggett (2024) — Scams, Cons, Frauds, and Deceptions

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DOI: 10.4324/9781003474982-2 (opens in a new tab)

Type:   Book Chapter
Country:   Australia
Tags:   AI-Enabled Fraud, Blackmail, Financial Extortion, Gendered Victimization, Image Based Abuse, Image Based Sexual Abuse, Offender Tactics, Online Dating, Romance Scams, Scamwatch, Sextortion, Victim Experience
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Synopsis

            
Qualitative thematic analysis of de-identified Scamwatch dating/romance-fraud reports supplied by the ACCC, July 2018-July 2019. After removing 204 duplicates, researchers manually reviewed free-text narratives from 3,259 distinct reports and coded 258 cases explicitly describing blackmail/extortion based on an intimate image or recording. The analysis identified two gendered sextortion narratives: rapid image capture and blackmail among men, and relationship-based threats involving previously shared material among women. In reports containing relevant demand information, sextortion demands were exclusively financial; no additional images or sexual activities were demanded. The self-reported, unscreened Scamwatch data are not generalizable and may include overseas reporters.

          

        
                  

            
Identified Gaps

            
Prior research had not empirically examined the romance-fraud/sextortion link in depth. Financially motivated sextortion is under-represented in empirical literature because offenders are difficult to identify, arrest, and prosecute. The study also identifies definitional uncertainty: many rapid, sexualised interactions reported as romance fraud may lack an established relationship or demonstrable deception and may instead constitute image-based abuse.

          

        
                  

            
Methods

            
Qualitative thematic analysis of de-identified Scamwatch dating/romance-fraud reports supplied by the ACCC, July 2018–July 2019. After removing 204 duplicates, researchers manually reviewed free-text narratives from 3,259 distinct reports and coded 258 cases explicitly describing blackmail/extortion based on an intimate image or recording. Cases were coded with O’Malley and Holt’s cyber-sextortion codebook plus additional variables, then frequencies and thematic comparisons were used to assess typology fit and gendered victimization profiles.

          

        
                  

            
Limitations

            
The self-reported, unscreened Scamwatch data are not generalizable and may include overseas reporters. Reports were not triangulated or routinely verified, so details depend on complainants’ recollection and interpretation. Free-text descriptions had minimal guidance, variable detail, and a 1,500-character limit; sextortion was coded only when documented, likely underestimating prevalence. Offender locations are uncertain, and reporting expectations may have shaped narrative content. The authors also note the small selected sextortion sample.

          

        
                  

            
Future Work

            
Develop clear, consistent definitions distinguishing romance fraud, sextortion, and image-based abuse. Examine men’s sextortion victimization and gendered dynamics both within romance fraud and as a stand-alone offense. Use this understanding to improve prevention, intervention, education, and victim-centred responses; assess coordination between the ACCC and eSafety Commission.

          

              

    
    

        
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