Representational Image. News 18
Washington (USA): Federal authorities issued a rare national public safety alert on Monday in an effort to stop increasingly aggressive schemes linked to more than a dozen suicides in the previous year, citing a massive increase in the cases of online sextortion involving mostly children.
At least 3,000 victims, mostly boys, have been identified as the targets of such operations, believed to have originated from outside of the United States, in which young people are forced to post explicit images online with which they are threatened later.
According to federal officials, who described “desperate” accounts from young victims, the number of incidents in the first six months of 2022 represented a 1,000% increase over the same period last year.
It is said that the predators frequently use fake accounts of women to target boys aged 14 to 17 on a variety of online platforms, including gaming and social media sites, as well as chatrooms.
According to the FBI, some of the victims are as young as ten years old.
Officials said, a significant chunk of the schemes are linked to the West African countries of Nigeria and Ivory Coast.
The FBI, in collaboration with the Department of National Security and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, issued the alert ahead of the holidays, urging parents to intervene as kids are expected to spend more time online and away from school.
The increase in incidents, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, has been “a horrific increase,” but that does not take into account the untold number of victims who “are afraid to come forward.”
“Victims may believe there is no way out,” Wray explained. “It is our responsibility to reassure them that they are not in danger, that there is hope, and that they are not alone.”
Chief of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr., urged parents and carers to help detect fake identities and to advise children to “reject any attempt to obtain private material.”
Typically, the predators have persuaded their victims to provide videos or photos, according to officials.
When the compromising material is transmitted, the offenders threaten to release it unless the victims send money or gift cards through a variety of payment applications.
According to officials, pressure campaigns frequently start shortly after the photos or videos are transmitted.Some of the victims have sought assistance from their parents to help with the payments, while the most desperate have committed suicide out of shame.
According to Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, “this is a growing crisis and we have seen sextortion completely devastate children and families.”
“The best defence against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they are targeted online,” he said.
The FBI urged victims and their families to report any illegal contacts to local field offices or the tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Reports can also be made online at tips.fbi.gov.
Before agreeing to extortion demands, victims and their families should seek legal counsel, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“Cooperation or payment very seldom stops the manipulation and continued harassment,” the group said, adding that assistance with removing images from the internet is available.
According to the FBI, the recent increase in such incidents is notable for its predominate focus on young boys – rather than older victims – and the accelerated extortion process.
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