The FBI is warning of an "explosion" in cases of teenagers and young boys being tricked into sending explicit pictures online.
It said there had been a sharp rise in the blackmail scheme which it linked to at least a dozen suicides in the US this year.
The FBI said there had been more than 7,000 reports of sextortion in 2022.
"This is a level of harassment we haven't seen recently," a senior official warned.
In a news release on Monday, the FBI said many of the schemes originated outside of the US in West African countries such as Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
It cautioned parents to be alert over the holiday period and to make their children aware of the schemes.
"The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys - and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers," FBI Director Christopher Wray said.
"Victims may feel like there is no way out - it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone," he added
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-64042266
The scam has 'female' users asking teenage males to send pictures of themselves jerking off on a variety of platforms including chats inside video games. Once in possession of the pictures and complete list of the victims friends and family from their profile the opportunity to monetise a teenager's hang ups becomes a real moneyspinner for the blackmailers.
