By Sarah Jones

Parents Be Vigilant

Sextortion scams plaguing young Southern Albertans

Dec 17, 2022 | 11:00 AM

In Southern Alberta alone, over 100 youth have been the target of a sextortion scam since March 2022.

According to the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Team’s (ALERT) Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) unit, sextortion scams typically go after young boys through Snapchat and Instagram, with over two-thirds of victims being between the ages of nine and 17.

This type of sexual extortion involves the suspect befriending a teen online via social media and pretending to be of similar age and opposite sex from a nearby town or school.

The suspect goes on to promise online relationships and will send sexually explicit pictures and messages in hope that the young victim does the same.

Once the catfish has acquired the photos, the youth is then threatened that the material will be released to friends, family, or shared on the internet until a payment is made.

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ALERT says suspects have been known to demand payment in the form of banking information, credit card numbers, e-transfers, or gift cards.

These circumstances create panic, shame, and youth are reluctant to reveal their mistake to a trusted adult, with studies showing that one in three victims of sextortion don’t tell anyone because of embarrassment.

ALERT ICE Detective Steve Brighton explained in a media release, “Our unit has handled well over 100 cases, but the sad reality is that we know the numbers are much higher.”

Brighton went on, “There are kids out there who have fallen victim, but are also too scared or embarrassed to seek help and resources.”

Police are encouraging parents to have open conversations with their children and promote online safety while surfing the internet.

These types of scams also extend far beyond Canada, as the ICE has partnered with agencies around the world like the FBI, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Australian Federal Police to investigate and disrupt sextortion offences.

With the help of these partnerships, an Australian-based offender who extorted $1,000 from a Calgary youth was arrested back in September 2022.

Detective Dean Jacobs with ALERT ICE said, “It’s heart-breaking to see first-hand the devastating impact these types of offences are having on kids, and our colleagues in the U.S. have linked sextortion to more than a dozen suicides.”

“ICE units worldwide are collaborating to investigate, but we really need help in raising further awareness and making sure these conversations are taking place in homes and schools,” added Jacobs.

If you’re being sextorted, ICE says to immediately stop all communication, do not comply with threats, reach out to a trusted adult and take screenshots of conversations.

Victims are encouraged to contact local police and learn more about sextortion through the ALERT website.