zAdvisory ID: ngCERT-2025-050011
Probability: High
Damage: Critical
Platform(s): Cisco Routers
SUMMARY
ngCERT confirms a 30% increase in sextortion attacks (Oct 2024 – Mar 2025), with 54,000+ cases reported in 2024. Nigerian-based threat actors are extorting victims for $500–$10,000 via social/dating platforms (Instagram, WhatsApp, TikTok, Snapchat). Perpetrators use sophisticated grooming tactics to coerce explicit content, triggering cycles of financial/emotional exploitation.
DESCRIPTION
ATTACK CHAIN
- Grooming Phase:
- Fake profiles (attractive peers) initiate contact → Rapid trust-building via flirtation
- Content Extraction:
- Coercion into sharing intimate media through emotional manipulation
- Monetization:
- Threats to distribute content unless paid → Continued demands even after payment
CONSEQUENCES
Successful exploitation could lead to:
- Financial Ruin: Extortion cycles draining the victim's resources
- Reputational Destruction: Non-consensual sharing of private media
- Severe Psychological Trauma: Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation
- Permanent Privacy Violation: Loss of digital autonomy.
SOLUTION/MITIGATION
For Individuals:
For Individuals:
🔒 Prevent Exposure:
- NEVER share intimate content online, regardless of trust level
- REJECT video calls/explicit conversations with unknown contacts
- LOCK DOWN social media: Enable 2FA, set profiles to private
🚨 If Targeted: - DO NOT PAY – Payment guarantees continued extortion
- PRESERVE EVIDENCE: Screenshot chats/profile details (DO NOT delete accounts)
- BLOCK & REPORT: Submit via ngCERT Portal
For Institutions:
🎓 Mandate Digital Literacy: - Integrate sextortion prevention into school curricula (ages 12+)
- Train educators to identify grooming behaviours
⚖️ Enhance Law Enforcement: - Deploy cryptocurrency tracing for ransom tracking
- Coordinate with INTERPOL for cross-border actor disruption
VICTIM SUPPORT
Immediate Assistance:
- ngCERT Hotline: 090 5555 4499
- Emergency Email: incident@cert.gov.ng/" id="OWAf051b667-128a-5b06-fd5f-0b39402b14d1" class="x_OWAAutoLink" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="https://mailto:/" data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable">
✊ Key Message: Sextortion is a crime – NOT your fault. ngCERT stands with victims.
WHY ACT NOW?
This 30% YoY surge reflects organised Nigerian cybercrime networks weaponising social platforms. Without intervention, 2025 cases will
exceed 70,000. Proactive education + rapid reporting are critical to break exploitation cycles.
🔍 Behavioural Red Flags:
- Rapid escalation from casual chat to sexual topics.
- Requests to move conversations off-platform.
- "You can trust me" insistence after minimal interaction.
REFERENCES