I-Team: New data shows more young people are getting catfished | #youtubescams | #lovescams | #datingscams

NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Millions of parents are considering putting a smartphone under the tree this year, but is your child ready for the responsibility? Or the risk? A new analysis of federal data shows more younger people are getting scammed these days. Experts say that’s why it is so important to talk with your kids before giving them a phone.

An extreme example of the dangers just played out in Riverside, California. “If something like this can happen here, in our neighborhood, it can happen anywhere,” said Michelle Blandin. 

Blandin says her niece’s online activity had deadly consequences. The 15-year-old girl was in a virtual relationship with someone she thought was a 17-year-old boy. It was actually a 28-year-old man – a law enforcement officer who left his home in Virginia and drove to the family’s home in California.

Police there say Austin Edwards killed the teen’s mother, grandmother, and grandfather and set the home on fire before forcing the girl into his car. When officers caught up with the pair, Edwards turned the gun on himself. The girl was rescued, unharmed.

For Blandin, that’s the one bright spot in this tragedy. But, she said, “catfishing led to the deaths of the three most important people in my life.”

Catfishing happens when a person poses as someone else in an online relationship. It’s one of the most common internet scams targeting young people right now. 

“All the scams are just an evolution. We all make fun of the Nigerian prince days. The thing is, these scams evolve,” said David McClellan. He is the CEO of Social Catfish, an online dating investigation service that helps users confirm identities of the people they meet virtually.

McClellan says Generation Z has grown up with social media, so they think they are too smart to fall for scams. “This is the problem,” he said. “Because when someone randomly messages them, follows them or sends them a text, they’re overconfident in their abilities.”

That confidence can lead to catfishing, then to sextortion. That’s when a victim is tricked into sharing compromising photos.

“Somebody will randomly contact you, have a conversation with you, send you nudes then ask you for nudes back,” said McClelland. “Once you give them the nudes, they tell you to send them $500 or they’re going to send the nudes to your entire friends list.”

The FBI says the number of sextortion-related complaints has tripled in the last year. The I-Team has learned most victims are boys ages 14 to 17, but there have been cases involving children as young as eight. In some cases, the threat of embarassment is too much. A number of young people have committed suicide before their parents could find out what was happening.

“More often than not, what is happening with your child, the answer lies deep within their digital signal,” said Titania Jordan. She works for Bark, an app that parents can use to monitor their children’s interactions online. The technology combs through text messages, emails, YouTube, social media platforms and more. It can alert parents to issues like cyberbullying, adult content, sexual predators, and threats of violence or suicide.

“Each day – each day! – we are sending between 85 and 100 severe self-harm alerts,” said Jordan. She says stopping those kinds of tragedies starts with real conversations. And it needs to start before the phone is put into the child’s hands. “Because very soon, you are not the expert,” said Jordan. “Google will be the expert. Tik Tok will be the expert. And you won’t know what your kid is learning.”

Jordan suggests using the Riverside case as a teachable moment. Remind your child to never share any personally identifiable information such as address or school name. 

Her advice for parents:

• Watch for any changes in your child’s behavior
• See if they appear agitated by notifications
• Do not leave their devices in their rooms at night
• When you ask to see their phone, be aware of any hesitation

McClellan says his teenage children know he can go through their phones at any time. “Parents don’t always know where the line is,” he said. “You pay for the phone, they’re in your house and under your care. You’re responsible, so it’s important to educate teens about this stuff and how it happens.”

Michelle Blandin says her family never imagined this could happen to them. Now she’s hoping others will learn from the mistakes that led to their murders. 

“Please, parents! When you are talking to your children about the dangers of their online actions, please use us as a reference,” Blandin said at a recent press conference. “Tell our story to help your parenting. Not out of fear, but out of example of something that did happen.”

Learn more about Bark here.

Learn more about Social Catfish here.