Why It Matters
Online crimes against children and families are growing every year, including here in Montana. These are the most recent official numbers, and below is how the Polson Police Foundation can help your school, family, or group.
Children online
reports of suspected child sexual exploitation made to the national CyberTipline in 2025.
reports of online enticement, adults using the internet to target children, in 2025. That's a 156% increase from 2024.
reports of financial sextortion: more than 50,000 in 2025, up from about 36,000 in 2024. Most are made by the children themselves or their parents.
CyberTipline reports in 2025 had a connection to generative AI, including AI-made images.
Montana: child sexual abuse material cyber tips received by the Montana DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation from June 2025 through May 2026.
Hacking, scams, and fraud
lost to internet crime reported to the FBI in 2025, a record. Over 1 million complaints were filed.
lost by Americans age 60 and older, across more than 200,000 complaints.
sextortion-related complaints filed with the FBI in 2025.
lost to tech-support scams, the fake "your computer has a virus" calls and pop-ups.
These are only the crimes that were reported. Many victims, especially children, never tell anyone. That's why education matters.
How the Polson Police Foundation can help
PPF provides free online safety education to schools and community groups in Lake County, delivered with the Polson Police Department.
Officer Quackers
A classroom lesson on the habit "Stop. Don't share. Tell a grown-up," with an Officer Quackers cyber safety coloring book, this website's practice activities, and the Duck Safety Game.
Who's Watching Me?
A digital privacy guide delivered free to 6th graders in Lake County, paired with the Cyber Detectives lesson on scams, fake friends, and account theft.
The Human Firewall
A one-hour class for high school freshmen covering sextortion, AI fakes, scams, and where to get help. It's updated every year with current Montana data from NCMEC.
Stop. Check. Call.
A scam-safety class for older adults, co-presented with Polson Police Department officers, with a companion book. Covers grandparent and voice-clone calls, fake bank and government calls, and tech-support scams.
Teachers: free lesson plans and printables are in our handout library.
Contact the Polson Police Foundation
- Phone
- (406) 475-5250
- info@polsonpolicefoundation.com
- Polson Police Foundation
PO Box 352
Polson, MT 59860 - Website
- polsonpolicefoundation.com
- Support the program
- Donate or get involved. Gifts help put free books and classes in local schools.
- Organization
- Polson Police Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit · EIN 39-4308255
To report a crime or emergency, don't call or email PPF. Call 911, or Lake County Dispatch non-emergency at (406) 883-7301. Online child exploitation: NCMEC CyberTipline, 1-800-843-5678.
Statistics last updated: October 25, 2026. National figures are updated each spring when NCMEC and the FBI release new data.