Sextortion on the rise: More and more teens in Athens area falling prey to online scams
The FBI noted in a report released in December that there is a “horrific increase” throughout the U.S. in what has become known as sextortion scams that target mostly underage boys.
Many such scams take place in Georgia, including last week when two northeast Georgia teenagers fell victim to it. Cyberspace strangers were threatening to post nude pictures of them on social media.
In these two cases, one reported to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the other to Athens-Clarke police, the young men, both 18, were being extorted by unknown suspects. Incident reports show the victims were told to pay money or the photos would go out to family and friends.
The facts are similar in both cases.
The Athens teen, who met the scammer over Snapchat, sent $300 in gift cards, but called 911 after the person began demanding more money.
The Jackson County teen, who met the scammer over Instagram, didn’t pay anything, even though the scammer lowered the price from $200 to $50. But when a local school and his sister received photos, he called 911 to meet with a deputy and report his bleak situation.
Law enforcement incident reports show such cases of blackmail are being repeated almost weekly by teenagers in the Athens area.
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More and more teens falling victim to online scams
A study recently released by Social Catfish, a technology company created to warn people about Internet fraud and such schemes, reported in August that teenagers are now falling for scams at a higher rate than senior citizens.
The study looked at reports on victims under the age of 20 from the years 2017 to 2020.
In a variety of scams, victims under 20 lost $8.2 million in 2017 and this grew to $210 million in 2022.
The study only bolsters the FBI report that there “an explosion in incidents of children and teens being coerced into sending explicit images online and extorted for money – a crime known as financial extortion.”
The FBI termed it a “horrific increase.” During 2022, these schemes targeted at least 3,000 victims and tragically resulted in more than a dozen suicides, according to the FBI.
These schemes occur online where young people feel most comfortable using common social media sites, gaming sites, or video chat applications that feel familiar and safe, the FBI reported.
The “online predators” often use fake female accounts to target their victims, most between 14 to 17 years old and some as young as 10, according to the FBI report.
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Dealing with the ramifications
Jackson County Sheriff Janis Mangum has visited schools and warned young people often about these schemes.
Just last week she was at one of the schools to talk to parents. And the next day she read the incident report of the teen who was being extorted.
“I’ve gone to several homes and talked to kids that have done this,” she said about the victims.
“Money has been extorted from them and they get scared. When they ask for more, they tell their parents,” she said, adding this is when law enforcement often enters the picture.
“They don’t understand when they take those pictures and hit send, it’s out there in cyberspace and you can’t take it down,” the sheriff said.
Mangum said she recently met with Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Liz Bingham and they are planning an internet safety program for parents only to be held on Oct. 10 and Nov. 9 in Jefferson.
The program, she said, will cover subjects from sex-texting to child porn to online predators.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has urged victims to block the scammers, but do not delete your profile or message because that can be helpful for law enforcement to stop the criminal.
How to avoid becoming a victim
Social Catfish has identified five scams that target young people.
Social Media Influencer Scam: Teens idolize their favorite influencers. Scammers will create fake accounts that look just like the actual influencer accounts. They host a fake brand-sponsored contest and ask the “winner” to pay a fee or provide their bank account to win the prize.
How to Avoid: Only follow the official influencer account. Fake accounts have fewer followers.
2. Romance Scams: Scammers steal photos of good-looking people and target young, vulnerable people online. They make the victim fall in love and begin asking for money.
How to Avoid: Perform a reverse search to confirm identities. If they will not video chat or meet, they are a scammer.
3. Sextortion Scams: Using smartphones, scammers pose as an attractive person and send an explicit image to the victim. They then ask for one in return.
How to Avoid: Never send explicit images. If the person you are falling for will not meet or video chat, think twice before complying with any requests.
4. Online Gaming In-App Purchases: When online gaming, players can make in-app purchases to enhance the gaming experience. Scammers are tricking children into giving credit card information.
How to Avoid: Only make purchases directly from the game’s manufacturer.
5. Online Shopping: Fake websites are created that look like an online store selling items at a huge discount. If you buy, the item never arrives. Thieves pocket the money and steal your credit card and personal information.
How to Avoid: Make sure the website is not full of typos. If the “customer service” email is “gmail.com” or “yahoo.com” that is a red flag.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Sextortion scams victimizing numerous teens in Athens area
