FBI Warns of Online Predators Using Sextortion Schemes Against Teen Boys
The FBI has noticed a disturbing uptick in online “sextortion” schemes targeting teenage boys, which involve trying to dupe victims into producing nudes or sexual videos.
On Thursday, FBI field offices across the country said the agency has been “receiving an increasing number of reports of adults posing as young girls” with the goal of coercing boys into sending them sexual imagery.
The sextortion schemes can occur via social media, games, and apps. “The predator (posing as a young girl) uses deception and manipulation to convince a young male, usually 14 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit activity over video, which is then secretly recorded by the predator,” the FBI said in the warning. “The predator then reveals that they have made the recordings and attempts to extort the victim for money to prevent them from being posted online."
Sextortion is nothing new; according to FBI stats, the agency received 18,000 complaints for a wide range of sextortion schemes last year, which resulted in losses estimated at over $13.6 million. But an FBI agent in Utah also told news outlet KSL.com they now receive a few cases involving teen boys per week, which is up from one case per month.
The FBI is urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of using social media and how to calibrate the privacy settings. “Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be,” the agency added.
The FBI is also encouraging victims to contact federal investigators to help stop culprits. "The coercion of a child by an adult to produce what is considered Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) carries heavy penalties, which can include up to life
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