Sextorters are targeting young boys online — and flaunting how rich the scam is making them

For self-proclaimed scammer "John," luring foreigners into sending him money is a full-time job.

"We look for them through Facebook or Instagram," he told CBC's . "We look through celebrities' accounts, followers' accounts, then we add them."

He's one of Nigeria's "Yahoo Boys," whose scams include coercing teens into sending nude photos of themselves, then using that to blackmail them for money.

John, which is not his real name, lives in Lagos, and agreed to speak to confidentially so that we could get insight into how these scammers are able to do what they do.

Experts say this type of sexual extortion — or sextortion — scheme has exploded in Canada since 2021. CBC was able to verify that more than 40 suicides across North America, Australia and U.K. in the last four years were linked