The recent telecommunications harassment and extortion case reported by Solon Police reflects a disturbing national trend of sextortion schemes specifically targeting users of dating applications and social media platforms.
The scope of the problem is staggering: Digital Forensics Corp. compiled data from nearly 1,000 active sextortion cases in late 2024 and early 2025, revealing that about 98% of sextortion cases go unreported to law enforcement. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 26,718 reports of financial sextortion in 2023 alone, up from 10,731 reports in 2022 – a 149% increase in just one year.
The Solon incident follows a familiar pattern identified by investigators nationwide. Scammers often use dating apps as a stepping stone to manipulate their victims, starting conversations on platforms like Duet before moving to messaging apps like Telegram where they can escalate the situation and use explicit photos to blackmail the victim.
The financial toll
The average financial impact to a sextortion victim is just under $2,400, but payments rarely stop threats. Once paid, scammers simply escalate the threats for more money: 40% of sextortion victims who paid their attackers received daily threats after complying.
Reports to the Federal Trade Commission show that sextortion reports have increased more than eightfold since 2019, with people aged 18-29 over six times as likely to report sextortion than people 30 and over.
Most vulnerable platforms
Research indicates certain dating platforms face higher risks. Grindr is particularly risky due to its anonymous nature and the quick escalation of intimacy, with the app reporting numerous sextortion cases. Tinder has faced significant issues with sextortion and remains popular for short-term relationships, making it more appealing for scammers.
The LGBTQ+ community faces particular vulnerability: 55 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults had used dating apps or websites, nearly twice the number (28 percent) of straight adults, making them frequent targets for specialized schemes.
High-profile cases expose platform failures
The dating app industry has faced mounting scrutiny following several high-profile cases. Denver cardiologist Stephen Matthews was convicted in 2024 and sentenced to 158 years in prison for drugging 10 women he met through dating apps Hinge and Tinder, and sexually assaulting eight of them. Despite multiple reports from victims, Match’s overwhelmed rape reporting system enabled Matthews to return to the app and commit further assaults.
A 2025 study by Digital Forensics Corp. found that roughly 15% of all sextortion attacks on dating apps happen on Tinder, while The Dating Apps Reporting Project found that Tinder is slow to remove dangerous accounts.
International operations
The problem has international dimensions: Nearly one-third (30%) of victims experienced demands within just 24 hours of initial contact, and 94% of threats were made through digital platforms. The foreign accents noted by the Solon victim align with patterns identified by federal investigators.
The FBI has recently surged resources to Nigeria to combat financially motivated sextortion schemes, with multiple Nigerian nationals being convicted and sentenced for operating international sextortion rings targeting American victims.
Technology enabling abuse
Artificial intelligence is making sextortion increasingly easier to carry out. Scammers are using AI-generated profiles and bots to match and chat with victims, making conversations more convincing and photos appear more realistic.
The scale has grown alarming: One in five teens in recent surveys reported experiencing sextortion, representing millions of young people facing threats that have real consequences on their mental health.
Warning signs and protection
Law enforcement agencies recommend several protective measures for dating app users:
- Never share explicit content with someone you haven’t met in person
- Be suspicious of anyone who quickly tries to move conversations off the dating platform
- Watch for repetitive conversation patterns that might indicate bot activity
- Use reverse image searches to verify profile photos
- Report suspicious activity immediately to both the platform and law enforcement
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children emphasizes that open lines of communication are the best defense against sextortion, as the embarrassment victims feel often prevents them from coming forward.
The Solon case serves as a local reminder of a global threat that shows no signs of slowing down, with experts urging both platform operators and users to take stronger protective measures against these increasingly sophisticated schemes.
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