IRL Stories

Fake accounts run by sextortion scammers cause a lot of real-life damage. Here, you’ll hear the stories of several young people who went through it.

Amir (pseudonym), 14 years old

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Out of, um, yes, a reflex I guess, I don't know how it happened, I actually transferred a sum of money to him via Western Union. Um, because I was really afraid that it would come out.

Sasha (pseudonym), 16 years old

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You hear a lot of those stories. From later, on the internet. Everything stays on the internet forever. And I was very afraid of that. So I transferred the money. But the threats kept coming.

Ibrahim (pseudonym), 17 years old

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The girl raised her right hand in the air, so I was sure she was “real” and looking for the same thing... But then she threatened to share the recorded video with all my Facebook friends. In exchange for the video, she, or he, demanded money.

Jasper (pseudonym), 15 years old

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He said he was also 15 and liked boys, just like me. At first, I believed him. I still don't know who he/she is. He sent photos/videos, but they might have been from other victims or just from the internet, idk (I don't know). In any case, the videos seemed to be of a young boy of 15 or so, not someone older. Certainly not an adult.