More than 1,800 bank accounts linked to organized sextortion scams closed, AFP reports
The Australian Center to Counter Child Exploitation, run by the AFP, also reported a significant drop in sextortion reports in the first six months of 2024.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has released new figures showing its progress in combating child sextortion scams as part of National Child Protection Week and, while the news is largely positive, the AFP said it remains concerned by the number of victims of blackmail.
The AFP’s Operation Huntsman has closed more than 1,800 Australian bank and cryptocurrency accounts, as well as other financial services, linked to international organized crime syndicates that operated sextortion scams against Australian victims.
The AFP and the Australian government’s financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, launched Operation Huntsman in June 2022 to specifically target the land accounts of sextortion operators.
The AFP-run Australian Center to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) also reported a sharp decline in reported sextortion incidents during the first six months of the year. In that time, the ACCCE has received 560 reports of child sextortion, which represents an average of 93 reports each month, a drop compared to the 2023 average of 300 reports per month.
AFP Human Exploitation Commander Helen Schneider believes several factors are responsible for the decline.
“Increased public awareness, especially among parents and young people themselves, combined with the AFP’s work with partners such as AUSTRAC, is likely to make it more difficult for criminals to exploit children online,” Commander Schneider said.
“We have worked closely with AUSTRAC and financial institutions to make Australia a hostile environment for organized criminals seeking to profit from the sextortion of our young people.
“Our intelligence indicates how effective we have been, with organized criminals regularly complaining to each other online about how difficult it is to extract money from young people in Australia.”
Anthony Helmond, AUSTRAC acting national director of law enforcement and industry, said co-operation with other financial institutions was vital to combating crime.
“By pooling our intelligence and capabilities, we can identify and fight criminals who target young Australians through sextortion.
“AUSTRAC’s ability to follow money trails and our collaboration with the industry has resulted in the closure of numerous accounts supporting offshore organized criminals seeking to sexually extort Australians. “Government and industry are working closely to keep the community safe by combating this insidious crime.”
Despite the good news, Commander Schneider remains concerned about the number of reports.
“Although reports have decreased, this remains an under-reported crime, and the sad reality is that we still receive almost 100 reports of children in Australia being targeted by criminals each month,” Commander Schneider said.
“That’s why the AFP will continue to make Australia a hostile environment for those who seek to exploit our children, during National Child Protection Week and every week.”
If you are concerned about your safety or that of someone else, dial 000 or contact your local police station immediately.
The ThinkUKnow programme, run by the AFP, has developed a resource to help the community identify sextortion and how to get help. The online response kit to sexual blackmail and extortion aimed at young people aged 13 to 17 is available on the ThinkUKnow and ACCCE websites.
