University Warns Students to Be Wary of Sextortion; Two Terriers Have Lost Money This Year to Online Blackmailers
Two Terriers have lost money this year to online blackmailers
The University has issued tips for protecting yourself against sextortionists, as the number of blackmailing incidents increases across the country. Photo by kieferpix/iStock
Amid Surging Sextortion Cases, Tips for Protecting Yourself
Two Terriers have lost money this year to online blackmailers
Two BU students have paid money to sextortionists this academic year, while nine others are known to have rebuffed online predators’ approaches—part of a nationwide surge in this crime that has prompted an FBI alert to law enforcement agencies.
Sextortion involves someone persuading another to send sexually explicit photos or videos, which are then used to blackmail the sender with threats of publicizing the shots. “However, payment does not always stop the predator from releasing the images,” warns the Boston University Police Department (BUPD) in a recent statement.
Payment does not always stop the predator from releasing the images.
“National trends show sextortion schemes tend to target males who are minors or those who are in college,” according to the statement, which offers the following tips for protecting yourself and what to do if you become a victim:
How to protect yourself from being a victim of financial sextortion
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that a person is who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one platform, game, or app and they ask you to start talking to them on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, and report the behavior to the site administrator. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.
What to do if you or someone you know is a victim of financial sextortion
- Contact the BUPD: 617-353-2121.
- Contact the FBI: 857-386-2000.
- You can also contact BU’s Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center: 617.353.7277|
- Get help as soon as possible and before engaging with the predator, as cooperating or paying rarely stops the blackmail and continued harassment.
- Report the predator’s account to the safety feature on the platform that you are using.
- Block the predator but do not delete their profile or messages as they can be helpful for law enforcement in their investigation.
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