Parents Warned 'Sextortion' Threats Among Teens Are on the Rise

An advocacy group in Nebraska wants families to know that there are rising cases of "sextortion" in online platforms like Instagram or Snapchat, where teenagers are allegedly lured by strangers to pay a certain amount lest their nude photos will be sent out to their friends.

Smart Gen Society founder Amie Konwinski said that they have been aware of sextortion among the teens in their community. Most recently, a 16-year-old reported to the Omaha police that an online friend she was exchanging nude photos with demanded $1,000 from her. Konwinski told KETV that sextortion could quickly escalate as the predator comes back to extort for more money from the victims.

Konwinski's warning isn't without merit as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children said cases of sextortion, also known as child enticement, have increased by 97.5 percent within a year. It's also an expansive and international operation.

Any Child Can be a Victim

Brian Herrick of the FBI said that any child is vulnerable to sextortion online, including the smart kids. Predators have a way of convincing the children to send their nude photos only to be blackmailed by someone they thought was friendly.

At first, these predators befriend their victims by sending gifts and other manipulative tactics that are hard to resist. Young people are the most vulnerable prey because they don't have that "on-guard mentality" yet.

The FBI said that most of the victims they have talked to felt that they had no choice in this situation and could land in trouble if they told an adult. However, Herrick said that it's important for the kids to have an adult they can trust to help them report the incident to the police.

Detective Matt Berres in Wisconsin said that he has dealt with cases of kids between 9 to 17 years old who have been blackmailed for their nude photos. However, studies have shown that only 13 percent of these cases reach law enforcement agencies.

Herrick, Konwinski, and Berres believe that communication with parents is essential in preventing children from becoming victims of these sextortion scams. While it could be a difficult conversation, adults need to initiate talks about safe internet habits. The teenagers will also open up if they know that they will not be shamed or blamed for telling an adult what happened to them online.

Dads Also Vulnerable

Meanwhile, Dr. Asia Eaton​ of the Florida International University said that even dads or men are vulnerable to sextortion scams, especially during the pandemic when most people shifted to online work. A survey of 2,000 adults in the U.S. showed that men were 2.5 more times likely to fall victim, most likely because the fathers had the extra time to spend online than moms who tended to the house and kids.

The experts also said that men tend to be less selective of the strangers they make friends with on social media. But Eaton also found out in the study that Black and Native American men are seven times more likely to be victims of sextortion.