What to Do If You Are the Target of a Nigerian Sextortion Scam

If you are being threatened by someone demanding money in exchange for not releasing your intimate photos or videos, you are likely dealing with sextortion. And if the person threatening you is operating from Nigeria, you are far from alone.

Nigeria is a global epicenter for sextortion scams, primarily driven by loosely organized cybercriminals known as “Yahoo Boys.” These scammers operate across the country, targeting victims worldwide, particularly in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. While being sextorted is frightening and overwhelming, there are proven steps you can take to protect yourself and stop the harassment.

If a Nigerian sextortionist is targeting you, take the following steps immediately:

• Stay calm and do not give in to their demands
• Stop all communication with the perpetrator
• Document all communications and evidence
• Set all social media and dating profiles to private
• Report the threats to the appropriate platform
• Report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (if you live in Nigeria)
• Report to law enforcement in your country such as the FBI IC3 (U.S.) or National Crime Agency (U.K.)
• Reach out to an experienced sextortion attorney

At Minc Law, we have proven experience helping international sextortion victims respond to threats effectively. We help victims take control of the situation, navigate platform reporting procedures, and end threats quickly and quietly.

What Do Nigerian Sextortion Scams Look Like?

Anyone can be a potential sextortion target regardless of age, gender, or sexual orientation. Sextortionists are motivated by money, which means they target anyone who appears able to pay a ransom and might be coerced into sending explicit material.

Many sextortion scammers operate from countries including:

• Nigeria
• Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
• Morocco
• Mexico
• The Philippines

How Prevalent Are Sextortion Scams Originating in Nigeria?

Nigeria has become one of the world’s largest sources of sextortion scams. In 2024, Meta removed approximately 63,000 Instagram accounts in Nigeria attempting to target people with financial sextortion scams, including a coordinated network of around 2,500 accounts linked to approximately 20 individuals.

According to research from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), 47% of sextortion reports show ties to Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire. The FBI Internet Crimes Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 18,000 sextortion-related complaints in 2021 alone. Victims reported losses exceeding $13.6 million.

More recently, the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT) reported that more than 54,000 Nigerians have been caught in sextortion scams, with a 30% spike in reported cases between October 2024 and March 2025.

Who Are the Yahoo Boys?

The term “Yahoo Boys” refers to loosely organized cybercriminals operating largely out of Nigeria. The name originated in the early 2000s when scammers used Yahoo email addresses to run advance-fee fraud schemes, commonly known as “Nigerian prince” scams.

Today, Yahoo Boys have evolved beyond email scams and now specialize in various types of fraud, including romance scams, business email compromise, cryptocurrency scams, and financial sextortion. They primarily target victims in English-speaking countries, particularly the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Who Are the Most Common Targets?

Everyone is a potential target. However, victims may appear more enticing if they:

• Have a spouse or family, making them more likely to want to hide online exploits
• Appear to have a good job or financial means to pay a ransom
• Have public social media profiles sharing personal information

According to NCMEC data, 90% of financial sextortion victims are male, with the majority aged 14 to 17. Young military service members and isolated individuals are also common targets, as they may seek companionship and feel vulnerable. Sextortion cases increased during Covid-19 lockdowns when more people felt lonely.

How Do Nigerian Sextortion Scams Happen?

Most Nigerian sextortion schemes begin on dating sites and social media platforms, particularly Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and dating apps. These scenarios typically include webcam sextortion and blackmail.

The Sextortionist Creates a Fake Profile

The scammer builds a profile using attractive images, often stolen from other sources or generated using AI. They may include a local address to appear genuine. They send friend requests to potential victims and strike up flirtatious conversations.

They Move the Conversation to Another Platform

Sextortionists almost always try to switch to another communication method like WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram direct messages, or other encrypted messaging apps. They may promise to send explicit content as encouragement to move platforms.

They Obtain Explicit Content From the Victim

The scammer seduces the victim into sending explicit photos or videos. They may initiate a sexual video call where the victim believes they are interacting with a real person, but the content is pre-recorded, stolen, or created using deepfake technology.

They Threaten to Publish the Content

Once they have explicit images, the scammer threatens to share the content with the victim’s friends, family, employer, or social media contacts unless a ransom is paid. They may show screenshots of the victim’s contact lists to demonstrate they have access.

Some scammers claim to be underage and threaten to report victims to law enforcement. Others appeal to emotions by claiming they need money for a sick relative.

If the Victim Pays, They Demand More Money

Perpetrators rarely stop after receiving the first payment. In our experience, sextortionists become bolder when they find a victim who pays, repeatedly demanding more money.

How to Respond to a Nigerian Sextortion Scam

Being targeted by a sextortionist is overwhelming, but you have options. Do not let the perpetrator bully you into meeting their demands. Remember, they are committing a crime.

Immediate Steps to Take

Stay Calm and Do Not Pay

Remain calm and do not give in to the perpetrator’s demands. Paying shows you can be manipulated, and the sextortionist will likely keep demanding more money.

Stop All Communication

Stop replying immediately and consider blocking them on every platform, but save evidence first.

Document Everything

Preserve all evidence of your communications. Take screenshots of messages and images, save videos, and preserve details about the sextortionist’s profile and contact information. This evidence is essential for stopping harassment and pursuing legal action.

Secure Your Online Profiles

Set your social media and dating profiles to private so only close friends can view your information. This limits what strangers can use as leverage.

Report to Platforms and Law Enforcement

Sextortion violates all social media and dating apps’ terms of service. To learn how to report sextortion, review that platform’s Terms of Use.

Contact a Sextortion Attorney

An attorney can help you take charge of your situation, protect your online image, and remove harmful content. They can also advise you on legal options and help report the crime to law enforcement.

For further reading, see our guide on sextortion help. If your child is under 18, read our guide on minor sextortion.

Where to Report Sextortionists Operating From Nigeria

Report sextortion to local authorities in your own country. If you are in Nigeria, report to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre. If you live elsewhere, report to local or national law enforcement:

• FBI Internet Crimes Complaint Center (United States)
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (United States)
• National Crime Agency (United Kingdom)
• Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (United Kingdom)
• Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Canada)
• eSafety Commissioner (Australia)
• Europol (European countries)

You can also report to international law enforcement agencies like INTERPOL, which works with Nigerian authorities to coordinate criminal investigations.

What If You Already Paid?

If you already paid, cut off all contact immediately and do not pay more money. It may not be too late to stop the transfer.

International scammers typically use Venmo, PayPal, Western Union, Zelle, Cash App, and cryptocurrency platforms. Contact the transfer site and your bank to cancel the transaction before it is finalized. Many international extortionists pick up cash in person or through cryptocurrency exchanges, so you may still have time.

How to Protect Yourself From Nigerian Sextortion Scams

You can proactively protect yourself from sextortion by learning the red flags that indicate you might be interacting with a scammer.

Prevention Steps

To limit the chances of being victimized, keep the following tips in mind:

• Limit personal information you share online and maximize social media privacy settings
• Be cautious of new online connections and review profiles for red flags before engaging
• Never send intimate content to strangers
• Avoid engaging with strangers when emotionally vulnerable or after drinking
• Do not open links or attachments from unknown sources
• Refuse requests to move conversations to different platforms like WhatsApp or Snapchat
• Review and follow safety recommendations on dating apps like Tinder, Grindr, Hinge, Adam4Adam, and Ashley Madison
• Turn off electronic devices and cover webcams when not in use
• Educate children about internet safety practices

To learn more about common red flags in social media profiles, see our article: How to Report Sextortion.

Legal Protections in Nigeria

Nigeria enacted the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act in 2015 to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the prohibition, prevention, detection, prosecution, and punishment of cybercrimes. The Act criminalizes various forms of cybercrime, including sextortion, identity theft, and computer-related fraud.

Penalties under the Act vary depending on the offense but can include imprisonment and substantial fines. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is the primary agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting cybercrime cases in Nigeria.

How Likely Are Nigerian Sextortionists to Follow Through?

Most Nigerian sextortionists never follow through on their threats. While some determined sextortionists follow through (especially if they have a personal vendetta), most do not believe it is worth the risk. Once they publish the content, they lose leverage. Additionally, sharing content may draw law enforcement attention.

For more information, see our guide answering ‘Do sextortionists follow through?’

How Sextortion Attorneys Can Help

Being targeted by a sextortionist is scary and overwhelming. An experienced sextortion attorney can help take control of the situation and provide peace of mind.

Benefits of Working With a Sextortion Attorney

While your legal options for bringing an international perpetrator to justice may be limited, an attorney can advise you on the best way to resolve the situation.

In many cases, contacting law enforcement is advisable, but it risks creating a public record. You may want to consult with an attorney before contacting police, especially if you know the perpetrator or if money or unlawful behavior was involved.

Experienced sextortion attorneys can offer legal advice, help you avoid paying ransoms out of fear, take over communication with scammers and law enforcement, preserve evidence, identify anonymous scammers, and remove damaging content from the internet.

A lawyer specializing in reputation management and digital risk protection can also monitor and ward off future digital attacks.

Finding the Right Attorney

An experienced sextortion attorney can help you devise a strategy for protecting your reputation regardless of where your harasser is located. They understand domestic and international sextortion laws, know which law enforcement agencies to contact, and have experience navigating platform reporting procedures.

Resources for finding the right attorney include:

• Your local bar association
• Attorney directories like Lawyers.com, Avvo, and Martindale-Hubbell
• Referrals from friends, family, and co-workers
• Google searches for “extortion attorney” or “sextortion attorney”

Look for positive online reviews and helpful resources on the attorney’s website.

We Can Help With Nigerian Sextortion Scams

If you have been targeted by a sextortionist operating from Nigeria, our legal team can help. At Minc Law, we have extensive experience working with law enforcement to end harmful activity from international extortionists.

We provide a judgment-free, supportive presence during this stressful time and can advise you on your best legal options for resolving your matter quickly and discreetly.

If you are a victim of a Nigerian sextortion scam or need to remove sensitive content from the internet, contact us at (216) 373-7706 or via our online contact form below.