Sextortion cases rising, Better Business Bureau of Akron warns. How to protect your family
The Better Business Bureau of Akron is warning that sextortion cases — mostly targeting minors — are on the rise here and nationwide.
The warning follows the death last month of James Woods, a 17-year-old senior at Streetboro High School who died by suicide after becoming a victim of sextortion.
The emerging crisis is primarily affecting adolescents and teens, who make frequent use of Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok or other social media platforms.
Sextortion typically involves an adult pretending to be the same age of a younger victim to get them to share explicit photos or videos of themselves on camera.
"Often the scammer will claim to have private information about the victim. Then they claim they will share it with the victim's family and friends when in reality they have no intention of sharing it at all," the local BBB warned in a press release.
Common avenues for these scams are social media, dating apps and chat forums.
Educating children about what they should or should not share online is vital to combat sextortion.
"Parents and guardians can also foster a safe space for children, ensuring that any minors in their care feel comfortable speaking up if something happens, whether to a parent, guardian, or another trusted adult," according to the press release.
Potential red flags when dealing with potential scams include the individual not being able to support their threat or requesting an urgent ransom via bitcoins or wire transfers.
The BBB of Akron warns against sharing phone numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers and birthdays with anyone online.
Here are more tips from the BBB to protect yourself and your children from sextortion scams:
Never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are — or who they say they are.
Try searching the web for one or two sentences from the email to confirm it is actually spam.
No matter what the email threatens, do not respond. This lets the scammer know they have your attention and will probably keep contacting you to get more information.
Do not open attachments or click links in emails from people you don't know. Doing so could lead you to a fake website designed to trick you into giving up personal information, or you may download malware to your computer or mobile device.
Never send money, buy a gift card or do anything to comply with the demands in the email.
Do a security check on your computer and install security software.
Enable two-factor authentication on your important accounts.
Change passwords often, and consider getting a password manager to ensure your passwords are strong and unique. Avoid using generic passwords like "password " or "Password123."
Keep webcams covered with sticky notes or Band-aids when you are not using them.
Check to see if your email was compromised in a security breach.
To learn more, visit BBB.org
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: BBB of Akron educates minors on potential sextortion scams
