The dangers of the internet are real, particularly for vulnerable teenagers whose youth and inexperience affect their digital interactions. There is much to be said for keeping girls safe as they engage with others online. But young men also face danger on the internet, and not just in what they might choose to search for and look at. Increasingly, young men are targets of “sextortion” schemes. And the results have been deadly.
These schemes involve scammers who prey on young men through social media sites, such as Instagram, social forums, gaming channels, and even text messages. The scammer, often operating from another country, will pose as a female and initiate contact with the young male that quickly turns intimate and explicit. The person posing as a female sends images or videos that are sexually graphic. He will then ask the young man to send some in return.
