Where our facts come from.

Research & statistics

1. [1]
   Pew Research Center. (2022, December 15). Teens and cyberbullying 2022. pewresearch.orgUsed for: 46% of U.S. teens have experienced cyberbullying.
2. [2]
   National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2025). NCMEC releases new data: 2024 in numbers. missingkids.orgUsed for: nearly 100 financial sextortion reports per day in 2024.
3. [3]
   Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Office. (2024, January). Sextortion: A growing threat targeting minors. fbi.govUsed for: 13,000+ reports and at least 12,600 minor victims (Oct. 2021 to Mar. 2023), mostly boys aged 14–17.
4. [4]
   Thorn. (2024, August 14). Youth perspectives on online safety, 2023 (with BSG). thorn.orgUsed for: 1 in 5 preteens (9–12) reported an online sexual interaction with someone they believed was an adult.
5. [19]
   Pew Research Center. (2024, December 12). Teens, social media and technology 2024. pewresearch.orgUsed for: platform use and "almost constantly" online.
6. [20]
   Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Youth Risk Behavior Survey: Data summary & trends report, 2013–2023. cdc.govUsed for: 16% of high school students electronically bullied (2023).
7. [21]
   ADL Center for Technology & Society. (2023). Hate is no game: Hate and harassment in online games 2023. adl.orgUsed for: three-quarters of 10–17-year-olds harassed in online games.
8. [22]
   National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2026). The work never stops: First look at NCMEC's 2025 data. missingkids.org · CyberTipline dataUsed for: 1.4 million online enticement reports in 2025; 800+ involving travel to meet a child.
9. [23]
   National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (2026, June). NCMEC releases new sextortion data (2025). missingkids.orgUsed for: 50,000+ financial sextortion reports in 2025 (137 per day).

Safety guidance

1. [5]
   Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Sextortion. fbi.gov · Financially motivated sextortion. fbi.govUsed for: don't pay, stop contact, keep evidence, block and report, tell a trusted adult.
2. [6]
   National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (n.d.). Sextortion and Online enticement. missingkids.org/sextortion · missingkids.org/OnlineEnticementUsed for: grooming warning signs and reporting to the CyberTipline.
3. [7]
   National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. (n.d.). Take It Down. takeitdown.ncmec.orgUsed for: how image removal by digital fingerprint (hash) works.
4. [8]
   U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). How to report cyberbullying. StopBullying.gov. stopbullying.govUsed for: don't retaliate, save evidence, block, report, and when to involve police.
5. [17]
   Federal Trade Commission. (2024, March). What's a verification code and why would someone ask me for it? consumer.ftc.govUsed for: never share a verification code; anyone who asks is a scammer.
6. [18]
   988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (n.d.). 988lifeline.orgUsed for: crisis support information.
7. [24]
   U.S. Congress. (2025). S.146: TAKE IT DOWN Act (119th Congress). congress.govUsed for: federal crime to publish non-consensual intimate images, including AI fakes; 48-hour removal.
8. [27]
   Federal Bureau of Investigation, Omaha Field Office. Money mule scheme targets teenagers and young adults. fbi.govUsed for: Too Good to Be True scenario.
9. [28]
   Federal Trade Commission. How to recognize and avoid phishing scams. consumer.ftc.govUsed for: Too Good to Be True scenario.
10. [29]
    Federal Bureau of Investigation / IC3. (2025, March 6). Public service announcement: Violent online groups ("764") targeting minors. ic3.govUsed for: Game On, Hate On scenario; warning signs for parents.

Real cases

1. [9]
   Kozak, A. (n.d.). About Alicia. aliciakozak.comCase: Alicia Kozakiewicz (2002).
2. [10]
   Fox News. Pennsylvania kidnapping survivor remembers dragging cold, heavy chain from captor's dungeon during rescue. foxnews.comCase: Alicia Kozakiewicz (2002).
3. [11]
   NBC News / Associated Press. (2008, November). Grieving mom testifies in Internet suicide trial. nbcnews.comCase: Megan Meier (2006).
4. [12]
   Wikipedia. Suicide of Megan Meier (secondary summary with links to court records and reporting). wikipedia.orgCase: Megan Meier (2006): charges, overturned conviction and law changes.
5. [13]
   CBC News. (2022, October 14). Aydin Coban sentenced to 13 years for sexual extortion of Amanda Todd. cbc.caCase: Amanda Todd (2012).
6. [14]
   CBS News. (2015, July). FBI seeks 240 victims of man imprisoned for sextortion. cbsnews.comCase: Lucas Chansler (sentenced 2014).
7. [15]
   U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. (2024, September). Nigerian brothers sentenced for sextortion scheme that resulted in death of teen. justice.govCase: Jordan DeMay (2022).
8. [16]
   U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of Michigan. (2026, August 14). New York man sentenced for sexual exploitation of a minor (Ryan Dookhan). justice.govCase: grooming that started on Roblox.
9. [25]
   Global News. (2023, November). Report on AI-generated nude images of Westfield High School classmates, New Jersey. globalnews.caCase: Westfield High School deepfakes (2023).
10. [26]
    NBC News. (2019, March 29). Serial 'swatter' Tyler Barriss sentenced to 20 years for death of Kansas man shot by police. nbcnews.comCase: Wichita swatting (2017).

Links were checked in October 2026. Organizations sometimes move pages. If a link breaks, search the organization's website for the title.