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Hidden epidemic: The sextortion scam driving young New Zealanders to crisis and suicide

Thursday, 9 April 2026

New Zealanders young and old are being blackmailed after sending intimate images online, police and Netsafe say.
New Zealanders young and old are being blackmailed after sending intimate images online, police and Netsafe say.

Warning: This story reports on suicide.

A South Island teenager died by suicide after being sextorted through Facebook, a coroner has ruled.

Netsafe says sextortion is a “hidden epidemic” in New Zealand and is calling for greater awareness of the issue, with research showing one in five New Zealanders has been affected either directly or through someone they know.

In findings released publicly this morning, Coroner Heather McKenzie said the teenager’s death illustrated “one of the severest potential consequences of what is extremely harmful, premeditated, and technically organised digital behaviour perpetrated by individuals for financial gain”.

The Post intended not to publish the teen's identifying details out of respect for his family's wishes, but they and his school have since obtained a court interim injunction preventing publication of his name or details likely to lead to his identification.

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The coronial inquiry heard the teen had surgery in late 2023 which meant he spent much more time at home than usual.

During that time, he connected on Facebook with someone calling herself Laura Wilson and purporting to be from Timaru. Police have since established that Laura Wilson did not exist and have traced the account to Côte d’Ivoire in West Africa.

A week later, the pair began chatting.

Laura soon suggested a video call and that the pair should exchange intimate images.

At first, the teenager was reluctant and told Laura he was not into that sort of thing and would have to know her first. Laura persisted, the coroner said.

After the teen asked how he could know that Laura was real, the pair exchanged intimate images.

Almost immediately, the tone of the conversation changed. Laura threatened to send the images to his contacts.

Coroner Heather McKenzie heard the inquiry into the South Island teen’s death.
Coroner Heather McKenzie heard the inquiry into the South Island teen’s death.

She told him he had committed a criminal act and claimed he needed to pay $5000 to an organisation helping starving children. She also threatened to post the images online.

The coroner said the young man became extremely distressed, fearing he would end up with a criminal record.

Later that night, the teen harmed himself. He died the next day in Christchurch Hospital.

Police told the coroner they had identified an individual they believed was criminally liable for blackmailing the teenager.

However, they said they did not have sufficient admissible evidence to extradite and charge that person, despite identifying a wider pattern of harm involving multiple social media accounts targeting other young people. Police said they sought international assistance to identify and warn other potential victims.

McKenzie accepted that a prosecution was unlikely and said it was appropriate to conclude the inquiry, rather than leave the family facing a potentially lengthy delay.

In a statement, a Meta spokesperson said the company’s deepest sympathies were with the teen’s family.

They said, in response to his death, Meta - which owns Facebook - had removed the account in question and “conducted a deeper investigation to disrupt a network of associated accounts, and will continue to work tirelessly to help prevent these tragedies”.

“Sextortion is a horrific, global threat and we work aggressively to combat the criminals involved by disrupting their networks, sharing intelligence with companies across the internet, and assisting law enforcement in their efforts to bring these criminals to justice.'

Sextortion, in which offenders use fake profiles to trick people into sending intimate images or sexually explicit material and then blackmail them, is a rising threat to New Zealanders - with agencies sounding the alarm about the crime and warning Kiwis to be mindful of what they share online.

The Post has been investigating big tech and its influence on our lives.
The Post has been investigating big tech and its influence on our lives.

Detective Inspector Stuart Mills, manager of the police’s intercept and technology operations said they had seen children as young as 9 years old being targeted by sextortion.

But he said this type of offending doesn’t discriminate – with victims as old as 76.

Money was the primary motivator for the blackmail.

“As artificial intelligence continues to evolve and improve, police have seen an increase in its use across a number of crime types, including the use of AI deepfakes in sextortion.”

For that reason, Mills said the police wanted to remind the public of the need to exercise caution when uploading any images publicly onto the internet and ask them to regularly review their privacy settings and who has access to their content.

Netsafe has also been warning about sextortion.

The online safety organisation says the crime has become so prolific it has reached crisis levels, with its figures showing a 24% rise between December and January.

NetSafe’s chief online safety officer Sean Lyons says New Zealanders need to talk about sextortion more.
NetSafe’s chief online safety officer Sean Lyons says New Zealanders need to talk about sextortion more.

Chief online safety officer Sean Lyons said the harm it caused could be immense, with over a third of victims reporting moderate to severe effects.

“This particular harm type is one of those that can have such a fundamental effect on individuals. It probably has a pretty profound effect on anyone who is targeted in this way,” said Lyons.

“For some, this really is the worst thing that they've experienced to date.”

Netsafe’s research shows the highest incidence of sextortion among 18–24-year-olds, with 40% of this age group reporting a direct or indirect experience. Māori (38%) and Rainbow communities (32%) also reported higher-than-average rates.

While teenagers were not included in its research, the online safety organisation says under 18s are also being targeted as well.

Lyons said scammers use various “hunting grounds” to target victims, including social media and dating apps. And it can often begin with a non-romantic conversation, like a shared interest or hobby or religion.

He said New Zealand needed to talk more about sextortion because shame and embarrassment were the key tools scammers used to blackmail their targets - they want to make people feel like their world is collapsing in front of them.

“So really the thing that we need to all be doing as a nation is talking about this as much as possible.”

Lyons said offenders used multiple “hunting grounds”, including social media and dating apps, and that sextortion did not always begin as a romantic interaction. It could start with an apparently ordinary conversation about a shared interest, hobby or religion.

He said New Zealand needed to talk more openly about sextortion because shame and embarrassment were central to how offenders trapped their targets.

“So really the thing that we need to all be doing as a nation is talking about this as much as possible.”

Lyons urged parents and caregivers to warn young people about the risk and to identify a trusted family member or friend they could turn to if they were threatened.

“The real danger, especially for young people, exists in the isolation that they go through when trying to avoid that shame and harm.”

He also urged New Zealanders to have those conversations with friends and whānau, regardless of age and make it clear they would respond with support, not judgement.

To report sextortion or other online harm to Netsafe you can complete an online report form, email on help@netsafe.org.nz, text on 4282 and its helpline is 0508 638 723.

POLICE ADVICE ON SEXTORTION:

HOW TO SPOT THIS OFFENDING:

FOR VICTIMS:

FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS:

Where to get help