NY State Police Warn Of Teens Being Catfished On Social Media

NEW YORK, NY — New York State Police on Monday warned parents of an ongoing scam in which teenagers are being targeted in a catfishing scheme online — a trap in which one teenager has already lost their life.

Scammers find teenagers on social media and then "friend" or "follow" them before working to gain their trust, police said. When trust is established, the suspects ask for photos and or videos of the teen, which are usually salacious in nature. Once the videos are secured, the predators demand payment from the teenager — sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars. If the teen does not provide the money, they threaten to release the images on social media.

At least one teenager has died by suicide due to the catfishing scam, police said.

Police offered the following internet safety tips.

For Parents:

• Talk to your children about going online and set rules about where and when they are surfing or chatting.
• Monitor your children’s social media accounts.

For Kids and Teens:

• Be careful what you post. Never share personal information online. This includes full name, address, or phone number.
• Don’t accept friend requests from strangers.
• Don’t open emails, click on links, or download anything from unknown senders.
• Never share photos online or through texts or direct message with people you don’t know.
• If you or someone you know is having thoughts of harming yourself, talk to someone who can help.

For those who feel they have been a victim of this type of crime, state police urge you to contact your local police department.