Greenfield Police Warns Parents and Teens about Sextortion Schemes

The Greenfield Police Department reports that they've investigated recent incidents where teen boys were targeted in what is known as “sextortion.” Sextortion is a threat to expose a sexual image or video to extort the victim for money. Online predators will request to be friends with the victim. The predator will add the victim to social media platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. By doing so, the predator gathers information about the victim. The predator will turn the conversation sexual, and seduce the victim into sending nude images or videos. After, the predator will threaten to send the graphic images to the victims’ friends and family, in exchange for money in the form of a gift card. The Greenfield Police are urging parents to talk to their children about the dangers of social media and online predators. Here are some steps to take if someone is a victim of sextortion: -Take and save screenshots of all evidence, including messages, images, videos, phone numbers, emails, account usernames, etc. -Do not make any payments or respond to requests from the perpetrator. -Report the incident to a trusted adult and/or the police or a school resource officer. Some safety tips to not fall victim to sextortion: -Do not accept random or unknown friend requests. -Do not engage in sexual conversations. -Do not send nude images or videos of yourself. -Parents should frequently check their children's phones and social media accounts.