16-year-old U.S. boy dies by suicide after sextortion scam on social media
Summary
A 16-year-old U.S. teenager named Evan Boettler received a threatening sextortion message on social media in early January 2024 from someone he believed was a girl named JennyTee60. Less than 90 minutes later, Evan took his own life. The scammer, who was not a girl as Evan believed, had tricked him into sending explicit images and then threatened to share them unless he paid money. The scammer’s IP address traced back to Nigeria, leading the BBC to investigate in Lagos, where it met individuals involved in sextortion scams, including a man named Ola who described the process of creating fake profiles to target boys. The investigation also uncovered organized scam operations known as "Hustle Kingdoms," where groups of young men worked together to run scams, though the specific group linked to Evan’s case was not identified.
Incident Details
Content or interactions that contribute to self-harm, suicidal ideation, or eating disorders.
Content or contact linked to suicidal ideation, attempts, or completion.
Non-suicidal self-injury facilitated or encouraged through online interactions.
Sources
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