FBI Pittsburgh Reports Uptick In Sextortion Cases Targeting Teen Boys
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - FBI Pittsburgh is warning parents of an increase in sextortion cases targeting teen boys.
The FBI's field office in Pittsburgh said it's seeing an uptick in reports of adults posing as young girls and coercing boys to take explicit photos and videos then extorting the victims for money.
The scheme targets boys usually 14 to 17 years old and asks the victims to pay money to keep the images from being posted online, the FBI said.
The FBI said this is happening on social media platforms like Snapchat and Twitter. Scammers from outside the U.S. are pretending to be teenage girls and conning boys into sending compromising pictures and videos.
"They're coming from different countries. Nigeria has been one we've seen lots of different scams come from," said Timothy Wolford with FBI Pittsburgh.
While the FBI said the scheme may come off as harmless to the victim at first, it's not.
"They lead the teen down the path of eventually either sending an inappropriate picture or video of themselves and at that point, they begin to demand money or they're going to release video or image to the person's friends on social media," said Wolford.
The FBI said the scammer may start off by asking for a few hundred dollars, and if they get the money, they'll keep asking for more.
The bureau said there were 142 victims in counties throughout Western Pennsylvania in 2021 alone, and it's cost people over $39,000, not just in this particular sextortion scheme, but all types of sextortion cases. So far this year, 59 people fell victim, losing close to $20,000.
"Pretty sure we are going to see a significant increase in those based on the reporting we've had so far this year," said Wolford.
FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall said the schemes don't involve traditional child predators just looking for explicit images but for money too.
"We want parents and caregivers to talk with their kids about schemes like this. Education is key to stopping these individuals and sparing our children the shame, fear and confusion they feel when they're caught in this cycle. We want kids to know that if someone they've met on social media starts asking for videos and photos and eventually money, that person should be reported," Nordwall said.
For tips for parents or what to do if you or someone you know is a victim of sextortion, click here.
