Security awareness group KnowBe4 AFRICA has issued a warning that online extortion syndicates are becoming more prominent in South Africa, with teen boys in particular at risk, Cape {town} Etc reports.
According to BusinessTech , the group highlighted a concerning global increase in financially motivated 'sextortion,' emphasising that victims in South Africa are particularly at risk.
'An increasing number of children and young people have been subjected to financial sextortion attempts over the past few years, and while criminals target all genders and age groups, boys between the ages of 14 and 18 are typically targeted for this type of crime,' it said.
Sextortion is a form of online blackmail where criminals threaten to release sensitive material unless their demands, often for money or more explicit content, are met.
The rise in these crimes is linked to increased social media use amongst the younger cohort.
