It's one of the fastest growing schemes in the country and it's targeting children on social media.

According to a TV news report on WDAY TV in Fargo that I watched last night, this is something every parent in North Dakota needs to know about.

Here's how "sextortion" works. Scammers, usually halfway around the globe target young children on social media. They will pose as another child of the opposite sex.

The conversations start out light. Typical teen chatter, and then they will eventually turn sexual. They will ask your child for a nude photo or video. If they get one, that's when the trouble begins.

They will then blackmail the child for money. Telling them they will post the picture or video on social media if they don't meet the deadline for the ransom. The scammer will then usually follow through with their threat.

This is so beyond EVIL and I believe it's extremely important to get the word out to parents.

Parents need to have conversations with their sons and daughters and make sure they are aware of this potentially deadly behavior.

I say "deadly" because according to the article on WDAY TV, that's exactly what happened to a North Dakota teen. 

An unidentified boy took his own life after a West African National allegedly shared nude photos of a teen boy on social media. Federal prosecutors in North Dakota have charged him with several counts related to this sextortion scheme.

Teen boys aged 14-17 are often the most likely to be targeted in this sextortion scheme.

According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children this scam is exploding across the USA.

In 2021 there were 139  cases of sextortion reported. This increased to 10,731 in 2022, and 2023 recorded 26,718. Those are some staggering numbers.

Parents, please be vigilant and spread the word to your children so something tragic doesn't happen to your North Dakota child.

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