Sextortion via Instagram Drives Wave of Teen Suicides; FBI Issues National Alert
Incident Details
Summary
In early 2022, the FBI and National Center for Missing & Exploited Children documented a sharp rise in 'financial sextortion' targeting teenage boys on Instagram, Snapchat, and Discord. Organized criminal networks — many based in West Africa — created fake female profiles, persuaded teen boys to send intimate images, then immediately demanded payment under threat of sharing the images with family, friends, and schools. When victims couldn't pay, perpetrators escalated threats. Multiple teen boys died by suicide within hours or days of initial contact. Jordan DeMay, 17 (Michigan), died March 25, 2022; Nigerian brothers Samuel and Samson Ogoshi were extradited and convicted. Ryan Last, 17 (California), and Carson Clouse, 17 (Ohio), also died by suicide in February 2022. The FBI issued a national alert in June 2022. Meta, under scrutiny for enabling fake account proliferation, pledged enhanced minor protections.
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