'We need to talk to our young people': Cybercrime commander warns of dangerous sexual extortion scam after school boy's suicide

Do you know who your kids are talking to online right now?

An Australian teenager thought he knew who he was engaging with, exchanging messages and racy photos to a teenage girl.

But he wasn't talking to a teenage girl - he was talking to scammers in Nigeria, who threatened to send those photos to family and friends if he didn't pay them $500.

Hours later, he took his own life.

NSW Police Cybercrime Superintendent Matt Craft said the boy is one of scores of victims of a sextortion scam targeting young people all over the world.

"It could happen to any individual that has a communication device," Craft said.

Two Nigerian men were arrested after a joint investigation between NSW Police, Australian Federal Police, the FBI and Nigerian authorities.

The alleged offenders were found in a slum in a city of 25 million people.

They will now be subject to a formal Nigerian police investigation and will be prosecuted in Nigeria for their alleged crimes.

It is understood police will allege the case has revealed evidence of other offending involving sextortion, based off information from a number of electronic devices that were seized upon the arrests.

"They send out thousands of messages hoping to get a response," Craft said.

"And that one person who does respond, they get on the hook and they start that banter, that general banter to try and befriend them.

"This was so tragic, this could happen to anybody and this young boy thought that he was alone."

In NSW alone there has been an almost 400 per cent increase in sextortion cases in the last 18 months.

Craft said the increase represented a willingness of victims to come forward.

"It's a great result that we can have an impact overseas and victims need to come forward ... so not only are we educating individuals [but] there are more avenues for victims to report these matters," he said.

"That message needs to be sent, that for victims there are opportunities for you to come and engage with law enforcement - we can help.

"There is legislation in NSW that helps us remove images from various platforms."

Craft encouraged parents to have conversations with their children about the risks surrounding sextortion scams.

"I acknowledge these conversations are awkward, but parents need to have them," Craft said.

"We need to talk to our young people.

"Parents need to be aware of sextortion and they need to talk to their sons and daughters about what it is that may occur."

Craft recommended sextortion victims to disengage with scammers and contact police.

"Stop communicating with these individuals straight away, don't pay any sort of money at all, but make sure you go and tell a trusted adult, a family friend, a parent, an adult," Craft said.

"You are a victim and you deserve our support and there are things that law enforcement or police can do for you.

"So come forward, we can help you ... absolutely don't suffer in silence."

If you or someone you know if struggling, you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or at lifeline.org.au