Minor-targeted extortion scheme: "Son requested to pay 1,700 euros for the protection of his explicit images"
In the current digital age, online extortion scams have become a worrying reality, with cases like Adara's 12-year-old son's ordeal serving as a stark reminder. Adara, a woman who shared her story on the Spanish show 'TardeAR' (Telecinco), recounted how her son was targeted by criminals in an online scam.
The extortionists demanded 1,700 euros from Adara's son in exchange for not sharing intimate photos he sent under duress. This is a common tactic employed by criminals, who often operate in organized schemes, targeting younger and younger people, including minors.
To combat this rising threat, parents can effectively implement parental control on children’s and teenagers’ phones. The key strategies include:
- Using parental control apps with monitoring features: Apps like Qustodio and Mobicip offer features such as blocking inappropriate content, enforcing safe search filters, and setting daily screen time limits. They also provide alerts about suspicious web activity, social media, and SMS messages on platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram.
- Educating children about online safety: Parents should have honest conversations about the dangers of sharing personal information or images online, especially with strangers. Teaching children to use privacy settings effectively, create strong passwords, and avoid chatting with unknown contacts reduces vulnerability to scams.
- Establishing household rules for device use: Rules such as no devices behind closed doors, no screens after bedtime, and device-free family times limit unsupervised access and reduce exposure to potential scammers.
- Regularly reviewing and updating settings and permissions: Parents should check and adjust parental controls, review app downloads and permissions, and update passwords regularly for better security.
- Choosing apps based on monitoring needs: Some apps offer more in-depth monitoring of messages and social media activity, while others may lack certain features. It's essential to choose apps that suit your monitoring needs.
- Encouraging children to block or ignore unknown friend requests and suspicious contacts: This reduces interactions with potential perpetrators.
By combining technical tools, consistent digital habits, and open communication about online risks, parents can create a safer online environment for their children. However, it's important to note that international criminal networks are difficult to catch due to their complex structures. That's why it's crucial to report such cases to the police, as Adara and her husband did.
[1] Qustodio: https://www.qustodio.com/ [2] Mobicip: https://www.mobicip.com/ [3] Bark: https://www.bark.us/ [4] Aura: https://www.aura.com/ [5] Privacy Policy: https://www.qustodio.com/en/privacy-policy/
- Inevitably, such incidents highlight the need for parents to monitor their children's online activities,especially on social media platforms, entertainment sites, and even in general news forums, to prevent them from falling victims to online extortion scams.
- On a broader spectrum, the rise in online crimes like extortion underscores the importance of staying vigilant and informed about the latest trends in crime and justice in this digital age.
