18-year-old New Zealand teen dies by suicide after online sextortion via Facebook account
Summary
An 18-year-old New Zealand teen died by suicide in 2023 after being sexually extorted online by a scammer using a Facebook account. The scammer, believed to be in West Africa, posed as a woman named Laura Wilson and threatened to share intimate images unless the teen paid $5000. Coroner Heather McKenzie ruled the blackmail was a "predominant contributing factor" to the teen's death and highlighted the growing issue of sextortion, noting police handle an average of 10 cases per week, with most victims aged 16 to 20. The coroner urged increased awareness and vigilance around online safety, particularly for young people and their families. Police were unable to extradite the suspect due to jurisdictional and data limitations but confirmed the scammer had targeted multiple young people.
Incident Details
Content or interactions that contribute to self-harm, suicidal ideation, or eating disorders.
Sources
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