Beware: FBI Warns Dangerous New Scam Threatens Michigan Children

Criminals in Michigan have come up with very believable ways to scam residents to gain access to personal information and bank accounts. But the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning residents that a scam that targets and threatens children is rising at an alarming rate.

FBI Warns Dangerous New Scam Threatens Michigan Children

The FBI is tracking a rapid number of students in Michigan being targeted by a dangerous crime called 'sextortion'. According to the FBI, many think this may only affect teenage students, but criminals are threatening children of all ages.

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The FBI says these blackmailers are savvy and prey on children's vulnerabilities:

Sextortion is a form of blackmail when an individual threatens to expose previously exchanged nude or sensitive photos unless their demands are met. You may think that this crime only impacts high school-aged students. It does not. The FBI has seen victims in Michigan as young as seven years old.

The blackmail happens on social media via cell phones, tablets, and gaming platforms and apps. After the criminals have one or more videos or pictures, they threaten to publish that content or threaten violence to get the victim to produce more images. The FBI also warns of 'financial sextortion' where a criminal receives sexually explicit material from the child and then threatens to release the compromising material unless the victim sends money or gift cards. The FBI says ' this increasing threat has resulted in an alarming number of deaths by suicide'. Michigan residents are urged to understand how the crime occurs and openly discuss online safety and sextortion with their children.

Read More: Student Safety: The Most Dangerous Colleges in Michigan