What the hell with technology: sextortion scams

By Jamey Tucker

Cases of sextortion are on the rise and the FBI is warning parents that reported incidents are increasing dramatically and targeting 14- to 17-year-old boys.

A report from Snap, the company behind the app Snapchat, shows that 65% of teenagers say either they or someone they know has been a victim of criminals asking for nude photos
social media.

Sextortion is carried out by online criminals for financial gain or to meet victims in the real world.

This is how blackmail generally works:

The victim, usually a young man, meets someone he thinks is a pretty girl. They usually make contact through social media or online video game communities, but the girl is actually a scammer.

After establishing a friendship of sorts, the criminal posing as the girl asks the victim to exchange nude photos and even sends one to the boy. The fraudster found the photo online.

When the victim receives the nude photo, he is pressured to send one of himself, which he does. A few moments or a day or two later, the scammer contacts the victim again and asks for more photos.

At some point, the criminal sends a message that he wants more photos or money, and if the victim doesn’t follow his instructions, the criminal threatens to share the nude photos with the victim’s friends via social media.

Sometimes the criminal will search the victim’s social media accounts to find out where they live and go to school. Often the victim will share more photos out of embarrassment or send money to stop the criminal from sharing the photos.

The FBI warns parents that in most reported incidents, even if the victim sends more photos or money, the criminal continues to demand more.

Victims are often too scared or embarrassed to report the scam to the police or even tell their friends. In South Carolina, a young man committed suicide after a sextortion incident.

Parents need to talk to their children about the dangers of sharing nude photos.

If you believe you or someone you know has been targeted, you can report it by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or clicking here.