Southborough police chief warns teens, parents of online sextortion

Norman Miller, The MetroWest Daily News
·4 min read
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SOUTHBOROUGH — For many teens, it seems like innocent fun — maybe a little bit naughty.

They meet an attractive new friend online; some flirting takes place and suddenly the new friend sends a nude photo or video and requests one in return. But after the teen complies, things take a dark turn, authorities say.

"It's sextortion," said Southborough Police Chief Ryan Newell. "Once they (the scammer) get the photo, they tell the victim that if they don't give them money, they'll post the photo on social media and share it with all of their friends and family."

Southborough Police Chief Ryan Newell is asking parents to speak to their children about sextortion after four teens in his town were recently targeted in the online bribery scheme.
Southborough Police Chief Ryan Newell is asking parents to speak to their children about sextortion after four teens in his town were recently targeted in the online bribery scheme.

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In Southborough alone, four local teens were targeted in the past month by these so-called sextortionists, demanding money from them or the embarrassing photos get released publicly.

What is sextortion?

There are several types of crimes that fall are under the "sextortion" umbrella. In December, the FBI issued an alert about the growing number of teens being targeted in what they call "financial sextortion."

"These people, these kids, are in such a stage, picturing all of their family members and friends seeing all of these," said Newell. "These people are putting the victim in such a state that they're contemplating suicide."

Sextortion victims increasing, some have committed suicide

It's no exaggeration. In 2022, more than a dozen teens who were victims of sextortion died by suicide, according to the FBI. In all, the agency investigated 7,000 reports of sextortion and identified 3,000 victims, primarily teenage boys.

The scammers, according to the FBI, are typically based in Africa, specifically Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.

“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes targeting minor boys — and the fact is that the many victims who are afraid to come forward are not even included in those numbers,” FBI Director Christopher Wray said in the December alert. “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out — it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”

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Another type of sextortion involves an email phishing scheme, according to the state Attorney General's Office. In that scheme, a person will receive an email from an unknown person who claims they have the victims' passwords and have access to embarrassing material on the computer.

Similar to the sextortion that targets teens, scammers will threaten to release the embarrassing content to family and friends. Often, the scammers will include an old password purchased on the "dark web" to give the threat legitimacy. Scammers often demand payment in cryptocurrency.

In the Southborough cases, victims were contacted by scammers on social media sites, such as Snapchat.

Not all of the victims paid up, Newell said. But one did, and the scammer still released photos on social media.

What to do if you or someone you know is being blackmailed with pornography

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has offered several tips for parents trying to help children who are victimized:

  • Don't blame the child;

  • Get help before deciding whether to pay the money;

  • Report the offending account to the social media platform on which the sextortion is happening;

  • Block the scammer on all accounts and consider contacting law enforcement.“

Victims can also reach out to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by email at gethelp@ncmec.org or by phone at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678) for support.

"This is a growing crisis and we've seen sextortion completely devastate children and families,” said Michelle DeLaune, CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, in a statement. "As the leading nonprofit focused on child protection, we've seen firsthand the rise in these cases worldwide. The best defense against this crime is to talk to your children about what to do if they're targeted online. We want everyone to know help is out there and they're not alone."

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Newell said he's been following sextortion cases throughout the country, and he wants local residents to be aware. He said parents need to discuss the issue with their children before it happens.

"Having three teenagers myself, it really resonated with me," Newell said. "Parents need to be proactive and talk to their kids. I don't think this is going away. These are teenagers who don't think anything bad can happen. I don't want to see this keep happening to our kids."

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@wickedlocal.com. For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerCrime.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Pornography blackmail a growing online crime, police allege