Teen boys threatened with financial sextortion scams at high rate

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

FINANCIAL “SEXTORTION” SCAMS ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON – AND IT APPEARS TEENAGED BOYS ARE PAYING THE PRICE. 

ANTI-CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE THECHNOLOGY COMPANY THORN LOOKED AT MORE THAN 15 MILLION REPORTS FROM THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN – OR NCMEC – FROM 20-20 TO 20-23. 

IT FOUND SEXTORTION – ESPECIALLY FINANCIAL SEXTORTION – IS A GROWING PROBLEM. 

THE F-B-I DEFINES SEXTORTION AS WHEN SOMEONE IS THREATENED OR COERCED INTO SENDING SEXUALLY EXPLICIT IMAGES ONLINE. 

FINANCIAL SEXTORTION IS WHEN SOMEONE USES THOSE IMAGES AS BLACKMAIL – BASICALLY SAYING SEND MONEY OR WE’LL RELEASE THEM. 

THE STUDY FOUND REPORTS OF SEXTORTION WENT UP DRAMATICALLY AFTER 20-22… TO MORE THAN 600 A WEEK. 

IN THE PAST – SEXTORTION SCHEMES FREQUENTLY TARGETED GIRLS… BUT THIS NEW STUDY SHOWS TEENAGED BOYS ARE NOW THE MOST COMMON VICTIMS OF FINANCIAL SEXTORTION – WITH 14- TO 17-YEAR-OLD BOYS ACCOUNTING FOR 90 PERCENT OF THE FINANCIAL SEXTORTION REPORTS TO NCMEC. 

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT… THE VAST MAJORITY OF CHILD SEXTORTION CASES START WITH “CATFISHING” – USUALLY SOMEONE POSING AS ANOTHER TEENAGER TO GET TEEN BOYS TO SEND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT IMAGES OR VIDEOS OF THEMSELVES. 

THE PERPETRATOR WILL OFTEN THEN THREATEN TO RUIN THE TEEN’S LIFE BY SHARING THE PICTURES WITH THEIR FRIENDS OR FAMILY – IF THEY DON’T SEND MONEY. 

THE STUDY ALSO FOUND INSTAGRAM WAS THE MOST COMMONLY USED SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FOR FINANCIAL SEXTORTION. IT WAS MENTIONED IN MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF THREATS… AND USED MORE THAN HALF THE TIME TO FOLLOW THROUGH. 

INSTAGRAM WAS ALSO THE MOST POPULAR WAY PERPETRATORS MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH VICTIMS… BUT THE REPORT ALSO NOTED A TREND OF USING END-TO-END ENCRYPTED MESSAGING APPS – LIKE WHATSAPP OR TELEGRAM – TO COMMUNICATE WITH VICTIMS… 

AND GIFT CARDS AND CASHAPP WERE IDENTIFIED AS THE MOST COMMON PAYMENT METHODS. 

META – WHICH OWNS INSTAGRAM – SAID FINANCIAL SEXTORTION IS A “HORRIFIC CRIME” AND IT’S ALREADY IMPLEMENTING NEW FEATURES TO HELP PROTECT PEOPLE. 

THE COMPANY SAYS IT’S CURRENTLY TESTING A FEATURE THAT WOULD BLUR NUDITY IN DIRECT MESSAGES… DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY TO HELP IDENTIFY ACCOUNTS THAT MAY *POTENTIALLY* BE ENGAGING IN SEXTORTION SCAMS.