Internet access and social media come with many perks in 2022. Around the world, people go online to work, research information, keep in touch with their friends, grow their businesses, and more.
Despite all the benefits that come with the internet, the drawbacks are very real, too. One of the main drawbacks deals with online predators.
Some predators are looking to carry out cybersecurity hacks, stalk unwitting people, or otherwise do damage.
However, over the past few years, there’s been a rise in a particularly dangerous online scam known as sextortion.
In essence, sextortion happens when someone is manipulated into sending sexually explicit images to a person who they view as a potential romantic interest. Then, once the predator has these explicit images, they use them to coerce and blackmail the sender.
According to NBC News, there is a rise in this happening to young men and even teenage boys online.
The Troubling Rise of Sextortion
FBI reports indicate that growing numbers of online predators are catfishing and pretending to be young girls or women. These predators use their phony identities to con young men and teen boys into sending over sexually compromising photographs of themselves.
After procuring these images, the predators then proceed to demand money from these young men and boys.
Additional FBI reports warn that young girls are also being tricked into sending over explicit images of themselves, only to later be blackmailed with these images.
A 13-year-old girl was safe at home and never left her room. But a child predator was still able to prey on her via the internet. Read about this real-life sextortion case that the #FBI and our partners investigated to better understand the threat. #CAPM https://t.co/e8TBfF0baK pic.twitter.com/TOTSzyd14x
— FBI (@FBI) May 1, 2022
Unfortunately, many cases involving sextortion have tragic endings. Feeling backed into a corner, many victims of this scam end up committing suicide.
The rise in young men and teen boys being targeted by sextortionists is far from coincidental.
Because male victims of sexual exploitation are less talked about than their female counterparts, predators bank on shame and vulnerability to get what they want.
What to Know About Sextortionists
Many sextortionists are organized criminals running their scams overseas. These predators tend to seek out victims who appear lonely or desperate for love.
Oftentimes, when victims do send sextortionists money to keep them from leaking compromising images, the criminals just demand more funds.
The #FBI is seeing a concerning spike in #sextortion targeting teenaged boys in Missouri and nationwide.https://t.co/NqJmOIPkSj
— FBI St. Louis (@FBIStLouis) April 30, 2022
Parents can help protect their kids from sextortionists with more online monitoring.
Some internet providers even let parents implement certain controls or surveillance features; this can lower the likelihood of both boys and girls being caught in the crosshairs of predators like this.
Sextortion continues to catch the attention of law enforcement; however, with many of the predators overseas, this certainly adds new layers of complications.
What do you make of the rise in sextortion that’s targeting young men and teenage boys? Do you think law enforcement can help stop this? Please share your thoughts in the comments area down below.
