You may have heard a headline in the news yesterday that concerns us all.  The FBI issued a new warning about an evolving online threat targeting minors and young adults: financially motivated sextortion. Our diocesan security coordinator shared the details with us and we feel it appropriate to share them with you.

In these schemes, the predators typically pretend to be alluring young girls to befriend teen boys – often on social media and gaming platforms. The predator ultimately tricks the teens into exchanging sexually explicit material. Once the scammers have the picture(s) or video(s), they demand money to keep it from being shared.

Here is a comprehensive article from the FBI: The Financially Motivated Sextortion Threat.

This is a stark reminder to monitor online activity and to remind our children never to interact with someone they do not know and never share explicit material with anyone. The FBI, the diocese, and the administration at St. Francis urge everyone to understand the dangers of sextortion and know there are options for those who need help.