Originally published June 26, 2023 4:00 pm PDT
65% of teenagers around the world have been victims of “sextortion” schemes.
QUICK FACTS:
- New research indicates almost two-thirds of teens across the globe have been targeted in “sextortion” crimes, whereby individuals are sought out for sexual acts or money.
- Sixty-five percent of young adults have also been targets of “catfishing” scams, where the person on the other side of the screen is not who they claim to be, the report published by the WeProtect Global Alliance said.
- “In both scenarios, the resulting photos and videos were then used to threaten or blackmail the young people, with abusers demanding money, gift cards, more sexual imagery, or other personal information in supposed exchange for not releasing the material to the young person’s family and friends,” the report reads.
- The study, which surveyed over 6,000 respondents from six nations found that seventy-one percent of those who got trapped in a catfishing scheme were asked to share intimate imagery or personal info.
- According to the FBI, sextortion begins when a predator reaches out to someone online through social media accounts, gaming sites, or dating apps.
- The adult then may use gifts or money and other methods to get the young person to send sexually explicit images or videos.
- If the victim refuses to send more, the criminal can threaten to publish the content in their possession online or warn them about other harms they can inflict.
- “The photos or videos are then publicly circulated on social media or pornographic websites, for the purpose of harassing victims or sextortion schemes,” the FBI said.
NEW REPORT ON THE SCAMMING OF YOUNG ADULTS FOR SEXUAL OR MONETARY PURPOSES:
“Scammers may not be looking solely for immediate financial (or other) return from the target. Rather, their goal might be to widen their net to ensnare more people or to try to entice others for sexual relationships or other interactions,” the report states.
BACKGROUND:
- Last month, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy wrote in an advisory that there is “reason to be concerned” with the potential harm caused by social media on the minds of youth.
- The advisory noted that up to 95% of those between the ages of 13-17 use social media, with some on a platform for an average of 3.5 hours a day.
- “Children and adolescents on social media are commonly exposed to extreme, inappropriate, and harmful content, and those who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of poor mental health including experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety,” according to the advisory.
- The advisory then described strategies to keep children safe, such as establishing tech-free zones within the home and developing technology that enforces age requirements when using a social media platform.
