Sextortion rising cause of suicides

[reader]

From CNN

About two weeks after his oldest son’s funeral, South Carolina state house Rep. Brandon Guffey says he received a private Instagram message with a laughing emoji.

Gavin Guffey, 17, had fatally shot himself in a bathroom in July 2022, and the grieving father was searching for clues on what led to his suicide.

Then Guffey and his younger son began to get messages demanding money in exchange for nude photos of his late son. Anyone on Gavin’s Instagram followers list who had the last name Guffey got similar messages, his father says.

The family began piecing together Gavin’s last moments and discovered he had encountered a scammer on Instagram and unwittingly became a victim of sexual extortion, a crime the FBI warns is increasingly targeting underage boys and leading to an alarming increase in suicides nationwide.

Now Guffey is suing Instagram’s parent company, Meta, for wrongful death, gross negligence and other claims, saying it does not do enough to protect children like Gavin from online predators.

The lawsuit, filed in South Carolina state court last week, accuses Meta’s social media platforms of causing a range of problems in children, including depression, low self-esteem, anxiety and eating disorders. It alleges that Meta uses algorithms to aggressively target adolescents and does not do enough to keep them safe from harm.

In the suit, Guffey says Meta does not have tools in place to protect underage kids who use its platforms in “almost every aspect of their lives” and are unaware of its potentially negative effects.

Minutes before he died by suicide at his home in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Gavin texted his younger brother and his friends a heart-shaped symbol of love – ❤️ – on a black background.

Since then, Guffey has been outspoken about his son’s death and sponsored legislation last year that makes sexual extortion an aggravated felony punishable by years in prison if the victim is a minor or vulnerable adult or if the victim suffers bodily injury or death directly related to the crime.

State senators passed the bill and named it “Gavin’s Law” before sending it to Gov. Henry McMaster, who signed it into law.

Before Gavin’s death by suicide, scammers had reached out to him on Instagram, convinced him he was talking to a girl his age and persuaded him to send nude photos, his father says.

The extortion started almost immediately after. The scammers demanded money, and Gavin sent $25 via Venmo, which is all he had at the time, Guffey says. He pleaded with his scammers to give him more time.

Sextortion predators typically trick young victims, usually teen boys, into believing they are talking to girls their own age. They persuade them to send explicit photos and videos, and threaten to publicize those images if a payment is not sent.

The scammers are typically located outside the US. Shame, fear and confusion often prevent minors from seeking help or reporting the abuse, the FBI says.

“The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes,” Douglas DePodesta, special agent in charge of the bureau’s Memphis office, said in a statement. “We need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does.”

Sextortion scams have increasingly made headlines nationwide. In August, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan extradited two men from Nigeria for allegedly extorting young men and teenage boys.

One of the men was charged with causing the death of Jordan DeMay, 17, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Marquette, Michigan, home in March 2022. The case is still pending.

Continues with photos

https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/us/rep-brandon-guffey-instagram-lawsuit-cec/index.html

[TMax]

They really are some lowlife scumbags that do this shit and they would be close to if not the lowest of the scum.

8 hours ago, reader said:

The scammers are typically located outside the US

And I would say they are most likely in countries where it would be very hard if not near impossible to get to them.

[unicorn]

Unfortunately, part of parenting these days consists of educating one's children regarding social media, as well as limiting and monitoring access. Parental controls are a must. 

[omega]

I think parenting also needs to consist of educating their children about the 'adult' world, at levels appropriate to the age and physical development. Too many have this idea that their kids should be kept innocent and ignorant until they're actually adults.

The case above might have been prevented if the poor kid had felt able to get support from his parents instead of judgement and punishment.

Parents must do better to create that level of trust and confidence.

That said, the absolute sick scum that did this... just no words can express the rage.

[Mavica]

For many, participation on social media leads to isolation and less up-close-and-personal friendships and relationships.  An unrealistic view of ourselves, and the world we live in.  This is not just true for adolescents but adults, too ... judging by some discussions posted to various GG forums.