Today the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland (SBNI) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) have launched the Trust Trap online safety campaign.

Promotional graphic with a blue-to-purple gradient background. Left side features the Police Service of Northern Ireland logo and name; right side shows the Safeguarding Board for Northern Ireland logo with three human figures. Center text reads ‘TRUST TRAP: YOU’RE NOT TO BLAME’ with a blue box below containing the words ‘CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT’.

Trust Trap, delivered under the Online Safety Strategy, combines paid and organic social media advertising to help educate young people and adults about online abuse prevention and how to report it. The campaign aims to reduce the number of children falling victim to fake profiles, grooming and sextortion, while also reassuring those in crisis that they’re not to blame and that support is available.

To support the launch, SBNI/PSNI have created a Partner Toolkit with key messages and assets to help you share the campaign across your networks and social media channels.

Download the toolkit: https://www.psni.police.uk/safety-and-support/online-safety/trust-trap

SBNI Online Safety Committee in partnership with the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), have created an essential guide for professionals working with children and young people to understand the risks of AI-generated child sexual abuse material.

This resource is specifically tailored for professionals in Northern Ireland and addresses the urgent and growing threat of AI-generated child sexual abuse material (AI-CSAM). The guide offers clear, practical advice on identifying and responding to AI-CSAM, and reinforces that this material must be treated with the same seriousness and safeguarding response as any other form of CSAM.

Image with text promoting new Child sexual abuse material generated by Artificial Intelligence: An essential guide for professionals who work with children and young people

Download resource at: https://onlinesafetyhub.safeguardingni.org/child-sexual-abuse-material-generated-by-artificial-intelligence/ 

Online Safety Training Needs Analysis – Children’s Workforce Survey launches on Safer Internet Day

Image amd text – Picture of handheld tablet device and QR code advertising online safety training needs analysis survey for children’s workforce

The National Children’s Bureau, commissioned by the SBNI, has today launched a training needs analysis survey for the children’s workforce as part of the NI Executive’s Online Safety Strategy Action Plan. Your input will help to understand the current experience of learning and development in online safety and identify future training and development needs.

 Access the survey https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/OnlineSafetyTrainingNA

We welcome responses from anyone in your organisation who works with and for children, young people and those who care for them. That could include frontline practitioners, managers, and senior leaders. There is no limit to responses from individual organisations and we are keen to hear from people in a variety of roles.

The survey closes on 11 March 2025.

“Literally, in seconds, they used my image to blackmail me”

They’re words we hope you’ll never have to say, and we’re asking you, and your friends, to get wise to the ‘amorous’ advances of online fraudsters.

The warning from detectives comes in response to increasing reports of online blackmail of an intimate or sexual nature.  This blackmail is commonly known as ‘sextortion’.

Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney said: “Typically, a person uses a false identity to befriend a victim via social media.  The exchange may start with flirting or flattery, but ends with the victim coaxed into sending intimate images or performing sexual acts online, unwittingly in front of a camera.

“Behind the fake and attractive guise, there’s a criminal. These people are often part of sophisticated and organised crime groups, mostly based overseas. They extort their victims by threatening to share those images or recordings unless demands for money are met. 

“Innocent people are left feeling humiliated and distraught, but the important message is that victims shouldn’t let embarrassment stop them from reporting what’s happened.”

In 2022, the Police Service of Northern Ireland received approximately 40 reports of sextortion a month. This compares to 2020 when between 10 and 20 reports were received per month.

The majority (80 per cent) of victims are males under the age 30; and approximately 15 per cent of these are aged 15 or younger.

Detective Chief Inspector McBurney continued: “My message, in the first instance, is to be on your guard.  Please be aware of the risks of sharing intimate images online, and if someone is pushing you to do this, then alarm bells should be ringing.

“But people do make mistakes, no one is infallible, and if you’ve been a victim of sextortion, then you’re certainly not alone. 

“Don’t panic; don’t respond to demands; and don’t enter into further communication. If you can, confide in a trusted friend or family member, and please contact officers immediately on 101.” 

The Police Service has issued online safety advice, which includes:

• Don’t get lured or pushed into compromising situations. Trust your gut, and end uncomfortable situations immediately.
• Always remember that what goes online may well stay online.
• Be wary about whom you invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites. Do not accept friendship requests from complete strangers.
• Update the privacy settings on your social networking accounts so only people you know can view your account. Do not include any sensitive or private information in profiles.

For further information and details of organisations who can help, visit www.psni.police.uk/sextortion