How BM Boys Are Using TikTok for Sextortion

At first glance, their videos look like any other TikTok content, young men showing off stacks of cash, designer outfits, and flashy gold chains. 

But behind the scenes, the so-called “BM Boys” are part of a growing and deeply disturbing online blackmail scheme based in Nigeria, targeting vulnerable teenagers across the globe.

BM stands for blackmail, and these young men are not influencers in the traditional sense. They’re running a well-coordinated sextortion scam that begins with fake online friendships and ends in emotional trauma, financial loss, and in some tragic cases, suicide.

A fake romance that turns into a nightmareThe scam typically starts on Instagram, where BM Boys use fake accounts posing as attractive American girls. They send flirty messages to unsuspecting teenage boys usually in the U.S. and slowly lure them into sending nude photos. Once the images are sent, everything changes.

Suddenly, the friendly tone turns threatening. Victims are told that if they don’t send money sometimes up to $3,000 the photos will be shared with their friends, families, and schoolmates. 

In some cases, scammers go as far as editing the victim’s image into fake news articles or television screenshots to make the threat look real.

The psychological pressure is immense. Scared and ashamed, many victims pay whatever they can. But even after sending money, some continue to be harassed or are targeted again by others in the same network.

TikTok – A stage for crime and recruitmentWhile Instagram is where the BM Boys find their victims, TikTok has become their show-and-tell platform. It’s where they flaunt the rewards of their scams cars, cash, and luxury goods, and where they post coded updates for others interested in joining the hustle.

These so-called “BM Updates” offer advice on how to build trust with targets, fake American accents, choose the right VPNs to hide Nigerian IP addresses, and use scripts and images stolen from adult sites. Some even share voice note samples meant to scare victims into compliance.

Their audience? Other young men in Nigeria and West Africa who see sextortion not as a crime, but as a quick way out of poverty. Comment sections are often filled with messages like, “Boss, please teach me work.”

No Guilt, Just SurvivalOne self-proclaimed BM Boy, interviewed anonymously, claims to have made nearly $100,000 from blackmailing victims over eight years. He sees it as survival. Orphaned at a young age, he describes sextortion as “just work” and feels no remorse, even when victims talk about ending their lives.

But the consequences are very real. In the U.S. alone, dozens of boys have died by suicide after being targeted in these scams. In one heartbreaking case, 17-year-old Jordan DeMay took his life in 2022 after falling victim to Nigerian sextortionists. Two of the men involved are now serving prison sentences in the U.S.

Although platforms like Meta and TikTok say they’re working to protect users, experts argue that it’s not enough. In 2023, over 26,000 cases of sextortion involving minors were reported to the U.S. National Center for Missing & Exploited Children more than double the number from the previous year.

Some improvements have been made, like blurring explicit images and making teen profiles private by default. But as long as it remains easy to connect with minors online, the risk remains high.

What you should knowThe rise of the BM Boys isn’t just about one group or one country. It’s about how platforms designed for fun and connection can be twisted into tools for manipulation and harm. It’s a wake-up call to parents, teens, tech companies, and governments: online safety is no longer optional.

Behind the flashy videos and fake glamour lies a darker story, one where shame, fear, and silence can cost lives. And it all begins with a message that seems too good to be true. Because it is.