15-year-old student dies by suicide after sextortion scam coercion via Facebook

Summary

A 15-year-old student from the D.C. Everest School District in Wisconsin died by suicide after being targeted in a sextortion scam, according to a Facebook post by his mother, Brittney Bird. The scam involves scammers coercing victims into sending explicit images and then threatening to release them unless money is paid or further explicit acts are performed. The mother stated her son was not previously suicidal and that his death was a result of being forced into compliance with the scammer’s demands. John DeMay, a father whose son also died in a similar scam, has since advocated for open conversations between parents and children about online threats. DeMay noted that sextortion can escalate rapidly, with some victims taking their lives within 30 to 40 minutes of initial contact. The FBI has warned of an increase in sextortion cases, particularly from groups like “764.”