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The suspects are contacting minors over various social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, professing romantic interest for the victim in order to gain their trust.
As communication progresses, the suspects begin to ask for sexually explicit images of the minors, sometimes even sending photos back in return.
After the minors send images to the suspect, the suspect account will demand money from the victim in the form of prepaid cards, threatening to use the photos as blackmail if the minor does not comply.
Investigators have found that most of the suspect accounts are linked to foreign countries, limiting abilities to identify the user.
Police are urging parents to monitor all electronic devices and to speak to their children about these specific points:
- DO NOT click on unknown links / URLs sent by unknown accounts;
- DO NOT take illicit photographs of yourself;
- DO NOT send illicit photographs of yourself online;
If you are contacted by an unknown account, it is best to ignore the message, report the account to the social media platform, and block the account from being able to view your profile.
Complaints involving the exploitation of children should be filed with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at www.missingkids.com or 1-800-THE-LOST. If a child is believed to be in imminent danger, citizens are urged to contact their local police or call 9-1-1 immediately.
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