The Australian Federal Police says the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE), which it leads, has been receiving around 300 reports of sextortion targeting children every month.

The blackmail practice involves coercing an individual into sharing naked photos and videos online followed by threats to share the material publicly – or with the victim’s family and friends – unless payment is made.

To combat the trend, the centre is pairing with Kids Helpline, Facebook owner Meta and US youth sexual support organisation NoFiltr to create a web of support.

The partnership will include the release of information targeting 13- to 17-year-olds with support and advice such as where to seek help if targeted.

The AFP has previously said boys aged 15 to 17 were the most common targets of sextortion attempts and they were often asked to transfer funds to criminals offshore.

Late last year, the police agency said reports had swelled from one or two a month to dozens.

AFP acting commander for human exploitation Frank Rayner said young people needed to know what to look out for when it came to sextortion attempts.

“There are some tell-tale signs of sextortion, including incoming friend requests from strangers or people pretending to be friends with your friends, sudden sexualised questions, conversations, or photos from a random profile asking for some in return,” he said.

“Sextortion can escalate in a matter of minutes, but remember it is not your fault and when you speak up we will believe and support you.”

Kids Helpline’s Tracey Adams said if parents found out their children were victims of sextortion it was important they stayed calm and sought help.

Prior cases show young people targeted by sextortion are at an increased risk of self-harm, highlighting the need for victims to be supported.

The AFP said people targeted by sextortion should immediately stop sending content, take screenshots to capture evidence and report any incidents to the ACCCE.