Sextortion scams targeting kids on the rise
Our SafetyNet® Program Manager, Wendy Waddell, spoke with CBS 8 about the dangers of sextortion.
“It can spiral extremely quickly,” said Wendy Waddell, program manager for SafetyNet: Smart Cyber Choices®, part of the San Diego Police Foundation, a program dedicated to kids’ online safety.
She said between 2021 and 2023, incidents of online enticement increased by 323%, according to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Online enticement is often the first step in sextortion scams.
“It can either be using an image or a video to get more of that content from that child, or it can also be money, just like regular extortion,” Waddell told CBS 8.
To protect themselves, it is critical for young people to differentiate between the online world and the real world.
“One of the most important things that I tell them is, do not befriend anybody online who you have never met in person,” she said.
While this can be an uncomfortable topic, it’s crucial for parents to be a ‘safe place’ for their kids to come to.
“If you can be open and sensitive and understanding about topics like this, and make yourself an approachable parent, your kids are much more likely to want to share information with you about these difficult topics,” Waddell added.