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Sextortion stories

Cyber scams soar in New Zealand as AI & crypto drive threats
Ransomware

Cyber scams soar in New Zealand as AI & crypto drive threats

Cyber scams in New Zealand have surged 77,721% amid rising AI use and crypto fraud, with sextortion and phishing attacks also sharply increasing in Q2 2025.

By Melania Watson • 4 min read • Thu, 31st Jul 2025
Netsafe report urges urgent reform of digital safety law
Advanced Persistent Threat Protection

Netsafe report urges urgent reform of digital safety law

Netsafe's Annual Report reveals a sharp rise in online threats in New Zealand, urging urgent reforms to the Harmful Digital Communications Act.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Thu, 12th Dec 2024
Snapchat unveils new safety features to protect young users
Marketing Technologies

Snapchat unveils new safety features to protect young users

Snapchat unveils new safety features to combat sextortion and bullying, ensuring young users in New Zealand and beyond are better protected online.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Wed, 26th Jun 2024

Global Stories

Sextortion stories

Snap launches digital safety course for teenagers, parents
Data Protection

Snap launches digital safety course for teenagers, parents

Snap unveils a 45-minute interactive digital safety course for teens and parents, plus expanded Snapchat arrival alerts to boost protection.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Wed, 11th Feb 2026
Snap debuts interactive digital safety course for teens
Data Privacy

Snap debuts interactive digital safety course for teens

Snap launches an interactive course to teach teens and parents practical digital safety skills on bullying, sextortion and illicit drugs.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Tue, 10th Feb 2026
KnowBe4 Student Edition marks one million trained in cyber safety
Phishing

KnowBe4 Student Edition marks one million trained in cyber safety

KnowBe4's Student Edition has trained one million students worldwide in cyber safety, enhancing online protection and campus security cultures.

By Jed Nykolle Harme • 3 min read • Tue, 28th Oct 2025
Stealerium malware surge prompts concern over new attack tactics
Malware

Stealerium malware surge prompts concern over new attack tactics

Cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting open-source Stealerium malware to steal sensitive data, prompting warnings from Proofpoint researchers of new attack methods.

By Jed Nykolle Harme • 4 min read • Sat, 6th Sep 2025
AI & data breaches drive rise in sextortion scams
Multi-factor authentication

AI & data breaches drive rise in sextortion scams

Sextortion scams are surging globally, with New Zealand reporting a staggering 137% increase in 2025, driven by AI and recent data breaches.

By Melania Watson • 2 min read • Wed, 26th Mar 2025
Romance scams reach six-year high, Moody's reports
Social Media

Romance scams reach six-year high, Moody's reports

Moody's highlights a six-year high in romance scams, unveiling 1,193 new entities globally in 2024, with the US leading at 38% of cases.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Thu, 13th Feb 2025
Sextortion scams surge with personal data to extort money
Malware

Sextortion scams surge with personal data to extort money

New Barracuda research reveals a surge in personalised sextortion attacks, where cybercriminals leverage victims' personal data for increased blackmail pressure.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Mon, 18th Nov 2024
New botnet uncovered known for sextortion and crypto-jacking
Cybersecurity

New botnet uncovered known for sextortion and crypto-jacking

Check Point Research is warning of a new variant of Phorpiex, a botnet known for sextortion and crypto-jacking.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Fri, 17th Dec 2021
How an investigation into sextortion led to discovery of a criminal underworld
Crypto

How an investigation into sextortion led to discovery of a criminal underworld

An investigation into sextortion by Sophos uncovered a criminal underworld where funds, totalling USD $500,000, supported a range of illicit activities.

By Staff Writer • 3 min read • Fri, 24th Apr 2020

Stories from Other Regions

Sextortion stories

Over one million students complete global cyber safety training
Advanced Persistent Threat Protection

Over one million students complete global cyber safety training

Over one million students worldwide have completed KnowBe4's cyber security training, boosting digital safety awareness for teens aged 16 and above.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Tue, 28th Oct 2025
Fake pharmacies, AI-driven scams surge in UK cyber landscape
Ransomware

Fake pharmacies, AI-driven scams surge in UK cyber landscape

Fake pharmacies and AI-powered scams surge in UK cyber threats, with over 5,000 bogus sites and a 340% rise in financial scams targeting users.

By Jed Nykolle Harme • 4 min read • Thu, 31st Jul 2025
Australian telecoms unite against tech-facilitated abuse
Unified Communications

Australian telecoms unite against tech-facilitated abuse

Australian telecom leaders unite to tackle tech-facilitated abuse, reinforcing their commitment during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Mon, 25th Nov 2024