More than 110 child sextortion attempts reported each month to UK police forces

Teenagers, typically boys, are being tricked into sending nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves to fraudsters and blackmailers. Photograph: David Burton/Alamy

UK police forces are receiving more than 110 reports of child sextortion attempts every month, according to the National Crime Agency, as a new awareness campaign is launched about the online scourge.

The NCA said the use of artificial intelligence in sextortion attacks had also increased “substantially” over the past three years as criminals adapted their methods.