ABC24 spoke with Randy Hutchinson from the Better Business Bureau of the Mid-South (BBB) about what parents and kids need to know about the scams.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Memphis field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued an alert about an increase in extortion scams, also known as sextortion, often involving young boys.
Be aware: sextortion can start on any site, app, or game – anywhere people communicate online. More often it begins when children believe they are communicating with someone their own age. The schemer will use threats, gifts, money, flattery, lies, or other ways to get a child to send them a sexually explicit image.
How sextortion scams work
- Crooks will pose as young girls or boys and initiate contact with the victims online.
- They convince the victims to share explicit photos or engage in explicit activity which is then recorded by the scammer.
- The person behind the scheme will then demand money to prevent images from being shared online.
- In another variation, victims receive an email message saying claiming spyware was installed on their computer and recorded them visiting porn sites and engaging in explicit behavior. The scammer then demands payment to prevent their release.
How often and where do they happen?
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