Swedish police warn of a significant rise in sextortion cases targeting children, where perpetrators pose as peers to obtain explicit images and demand money. Parents are advised to support their children without anger or punishment, emphasizing understanding and open communication.
Police Alert: Children Targeted for Money in Sextortion Scams
Police Alert: Children Targeted for Money in Sextortion Scams
Sextortion, the sexual extortion of children for financial gain, is on the rise. The police are raising the alarm and offering advice for parents.
Reports of adults attempting to contact children and young people online increased internationally by 192 percent last year, according to a police press release.
A large number of teenage boys are affected, and these crimes differ from typical sexual offenses due to their clear economic motive.
– A common method is for the perpetrator to pretend to be a peer and trick the victim into sending nude photos or videos. They then threaten to share the images with family and friends unless the child sends money, says Louise Åhlén, a development officer at Isöb Noa, who works with internet-related sexual crimes against children, in a press release.
The number of unreported cases is likely very high.
Don't Get Angry if They Sent a Nude Photo
It's important for parents not to get angry with their child for sending a nude photo or paying to prevent its spread, says Louise Åhlén.
– When we at the police find a child we believe has been victimized, the affected children often don't want to talk because they feel so much guilt and shame. But the children have done nothing wrong; they need the understanding and support of the adult world.
She believes adults need to talk to children about the possibility of adults seeking contact with them, both to reduce the risks and to support those who have been victimized.
Don't Punish
Louise Åhlén advises being curious and asking about children's lives, both online and offline. She believes that children should not be punished by having apps or phones taken away if they have been victimized.
– We cannot protect children by forbidding them from using specific apps or games – what is needed is knowledge, presence, and understanding, says Louise Åhlén.