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\nLouisville Metro police are warning parents of a new social media scam targeting teenage boys.<\/p>\n
\nLouisville Metro police are warning parents of a new social media scam targeting teenage boys.<\/p>\n
The department\u2019s Internet Crimes Against Children\u2019s Unit is partnering with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to investigate local cases of a \u201csextortion\u201d scam.<\/p>\n
According to LMPD spokeswoman Beth Ruoff, unknown international suspects are representing themselves as teenage girls while reaching out to boys under 18 through Instagram.<\/p>\n
Ruoff said the suspect then coerces the boys into sending explicit images of themselves on Snapchat, while taking a screenshot of the boys\u2019 Instagram friends list.<\/p>\n
The suspects then extort them by telling them if they don\u2019t send money to Cash App or send payment in the form of gift cards, they are going to send these explicit images out to friends, family and schoolmates.<\/p>\n
FBI spokeswoman Stacy Sanders said the extortion attempts are, in some cases, not just threats.<\/p>\n
Sanders said once they receive payment they ask for more money. Whether they receive money or not, they will send out these images.<\/p>\n
Sanders said the people behind the scheme appear to be committing the crime from outside of the U.S., which makes the cases difficult to prosecute.<\/p>\n
Ruoff said Louisville Metro Police Department is investigating 25 cases in Louisville.<\/p>\n
Both Ruoff and Sanders are asking parents to warn their children of this scam. They said similar scams are happening to young girls too.<\/p>\n