What the Tech: A look at sextortion scams, who they’re targeting
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - It’s one of the fastest-growing online crimes, and the victims are getting younger every year.
Sextortion crimes are when predators trick or coerce children into sending explicit images and then threaten to share them unless the child sends more.
It can happen in a matter of minutes while the child is in their bedroom, at sleepovers, and even in the middle of family homes while parents are just a room away.
The FBI, Homeland Security, and digital safety groups all say sextortion is exploding, especially among pre-teen boys. And experts believe the number of cases is far higher than what’s reported, because most victims never tell anyone.
“It’s Not Who You Think It Is”
These scams often start with what looks like an innocent message. A “pretty girl” follows your child on Instagram. A fellow gamer strikes up a conversation in Roblox or Minecraft. Only it’s not a teenage girl. It’s a scammer. Often part of a larger crime ring operating overseas.
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“Some can work on people for months and really gain an intimate relationship with them,” says Sean Quellos, a digital forensics expert who works with sextortion victims and their parents. “They’ll really make them think they’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”
Once the predator builds trust, they ask for an explicit image. If the child sends even one, the threats begin. The scammer may demand more photos, or money. Sometimes asking for gift cards or cryptocurrency. If the child refuses, the scammer threatens to send the image to their family and friends.
It’s emotional blackmail, and many kids don’t know what to do. They’re scared. They’re ashamed. And they don’t know how to make it stop.
Quellos says many scammers take the threats even further by infiltrating a child’s friend group. “A lot of the threat actors will start to look at the victims’ friends and try to befriend their friends as well.
This time, when they come to them with the threats, they have more with it, they’re in the friend group, and can expose this to more people they know on a personal level.” That fear often keeps victims silent. And the silence is deadly.
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If it feels like you’re constantly seeing friends post, “I’ve been hacked — don’t accept friend requests from me,” you’re not imagining things.
At least 20 teens and pre-teens have taken their own lives after being targeted by sextortion scammers in the past two years. These predators aren’t just lurking on shady websites. They’re on the apps and platforms your kids use every day and even ones you may think are safe.
“We’ve seen it on children’s games like Roblox and Minecraft,” says Quellos. “All the way to Instagram and dating applications. It seems like anything you can communicate on, someone will take advantage of it.”
The vast majority of victims are boys, typically between the ages of 10 and 17. Some victims are as young as 9. And while more than 10,000 cases were reported in the last year, the true number may be in the millions.
What You Can Do
Talk to your kids. Not just about stranger danger, but about how people online might not be who they say they are. Let them know they can always come to you, no matter what, and that you’ll help them without judgment.
Sean Quellos offers his services pro bono to victims of sextortion scams and their parents. Find more information at https://www.digitalforensics.com/
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