Most victims are between 14 and 17, but kids as young as 10 have been targeted.
FILE - An FBI seal is seen on a wall on Aug. 10, 2022, in Omaha, Neb. An explosive increase in teenage boys targeted online and extorted for money after being tricked into sending explicit pictures of themselves has the FBI sounding a public-safety alarm as the U.S. enters the holiday season. – The FBI sounded the alarm Monday about an explosive increase in teenage boys being targeted online and extorted for money after being tricked into sending sexually explicit pictures.
There’s been a staggering tenfold increase in reports since last year, and there are likely more victims who never came forward, FBI officials said. Embarrassment and shame can prevent them from asking for help. Many of the current wave of schemes are believed to be originating with scammers based in West African countries like Nigeria and the Ivory Coast. The suspects typically pose as kids of similar age, often using a girl’s profile picture and even listing schools or adding friends to make it look like they live in the same area. It happens often on large platforms like Instagram or Facebook, but can also be on gaming or video chats, authorities said.
The Department of Homeland Security is also working to track fake accounts back to their source, said Steve Francis, the acting executive director of Homeland Security Investigations. It isn't clear whether federal prosecutors had brought any cases tied to the scams.
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