Alberta RCMP are using September to alert young people to the risks of cyberbullying and sextortion, and to share clear steps for responding if targeted.
Youth are especially vulnerable online, but safer digital habits can reduce the danger.
Sextortion is online blackmail in which someone threatens to share a sexual image or video unless the victim pays money or sends more intimate content. Offenders often pose as peers, use fake profiles, rush emotional connections, and push conversations to private platforms.
Cyberbullying means using phones, computers or other devices to embarrass, threaten, harass, exclude or harm someone online.
If you or someone you know is facing sextortion, police say stop all contact, never send money or more images, save screenshots and profile details, deactivate (don’t delete) accounts, and avoid new friend requests. Tell a trusted adult right away.
Report incidents to local police, the platform, or Cybertip.ca.
Help removing intimate images is available at NeedHelpNow.ca
For cyberbullying: ignore the messages, save evidence, block and report the person, and speak to a trusted adult. Flag it with a school or the app; contact police if threats or a crime are involved.
More online safety resources are available through Public Safety Canada’s Help for Youth.
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