Economic harm

Last Updated 6/4/25

Definition: Financial harm or loss, including direct monetary demands, job loss, and costs associated with safety measures.

Abuse Types:

Intimate image abuse (IIA) Sexual extortion Doxxing Online impersonation Online harassment Deceptive synthetic media

Perpetrator Intents:

Financial gain Compliance Punitive intent

Targets:

Private individual Organization, group, community Public figure

Mitigation Strategies:

Default to highest privacy settings Transparent feedback and reporting Prioritized reporting Know your customer (KYC)

Synonyms

Financial harm, Livelihood impact, Economic abuse, Loss of livelihood, loss of home, loss of other property, financial loss, chilling of workplace recognition

Examples

Sextortion demands
Job loss or career damage from doxxing or harassment campaigns targeting someone's workplace
Costs incurred for security measures, legal fees, or mental health treatment following abuse

Description

Economic impacts of TFGBV manifest both as direct financial extortion and indirect consequences that affect victims' financial stability. Victims often face substantial costs for protective measures, legal assistance, and healthcare. The economic burden can be compounded when abuse affects employment opportunities or workplace relationships, creating long-term financial instability.

References

Thorn and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). (2024). Trends in Financial Sextortion An investigation of sextortion reports in NCMEC CyberTipline data. https://info.thorn.org/hubfs/Research/Thorn_TrendsInFinancialSextortion_June2024.pdf

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