FBI: Teenage boys increasingly the victims of "sextortion" by predators posing as young girls
The FBI says they are seeing an increase of sextortion involving young boys who are being tricked into sending sexual images and video to adults they believe are young girls.
The warning issued Thursday says the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office has received dozens of complaints involving boys who were reported victims of sextortion, mostly for money but some for additional images.
"With the ubiquitous nature of modern technology, our children are increasingly vulnerable targets for online predators," said Kristi Johnson, the assistant director in charge of the FBI Los Angeles Division, said in a statement.
The sextortion typically begins with an adult contacting a minor over any online platform, including games, apps, and social media. The scheme that has become more prevalent involves a predator posing as a young girl to convince a boy, usually between 14 and 17 years old, to engage in explicit activity over video, which is secretly recorded, according to the FBI. The predator then reveals they have made the recordings and threatens to post the video online if they don't send money.
Many of the predators are overseas and often demand money in increasing amounts if any is sent in the initial request, FBI officials said.
Sextortion is a crime, and the FBI says coercion of a child by an adult to create what is considered Child Sexual Abuse Material can mean a life sentence for the offender. Children who have been the target of sextortion may be embarrassed by such a traumatic experience, but the FBI says they should be encouraged to come forward to a trusted adult to help law enforcement catch such predators.
The FBI says adults and children alike should follow some basic tips to keep themselves safe online, including being selective about sharing personal information, being wary of strangers and skeptical about photos or videos sent to confirm an identity. Children should be suspicious about meeting someone on a game or app who asks to talk on a different platform, and feel confident about reporting suspicious behavior to a trusted adult.
Anyone who has been the victim of sextortion or knows someone should not delete anything before reporting it to law enforcement, then contact their local FBI field office, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
