FBI Boston warns of increase in ‘sextortion’ targeting young boys

A troubling alert from the Boston office of the FBI. Agents are warning parents and caregivers about an increase in incidents involving sextortion of young children.

The FBI says the sextortion begins when an adult contacts a minor over any online platform, such as a game, app or social media account.

“In a scheme that has recently become more prevalent, the predator (posing as a young girl) uses deception and manipulation to convince a young male, usually 14 to 17 years old, to engage in explicit activity over video, which is then secretly recorded by the predator,” according to the FBI statement.

That predator then tells the victim they have made the recordings and tries to extort the victim for money.

“Predators who ask for sexually explicit photos, videos, and then money to terrorize young victims with threats of posting their images online are incredibly disturbing, and on our radar,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

“In order to spare children of the shame, fear, and confusion they feel when this happens, we’re asking parents and caregivers to talk to their children now about their online safety, and the importance of speaking up to prevent further victimization,” said Bonavolonta.

The FBI provided the following advice:

Be selective about what you share online, especially your personal information and passwords. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you or your children.
Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be.
Be suspicious if you meet someone on a game or app and they ask you to start talking to them on a different platform.
Encourage your children to report suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.

The FBI says people should not delete anything before law enforcement is able to review it.

Contact information for FBI field offices can be found at www.fbi.gov.

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