Children victims of digital extortion turn to police before telling parents
In ten days, the Noad unit of the São Paulo Civil Police received 36 reports from young people about digital extortion involving intimate photos and personal data.
Minors report digital extortion to police without informing family
Children and adolescents who are victims of digital extortion have been contacting the police on their own — often before informing their own parents about what happened. According to reports on www1.folha.uol.com.br, the reports reach Noad (Digital Observation and Analysis Centre) of the São Paulo Civil Police, and come from victims as young as ten years old.
In the extortion cases, the perpetrators use intimate photos and leaked personal data to demand transfers via Pix or to impose serious demands, such as self-harm, violence against animals and threats to schools.
Sharp increase in reports following disclosure of reporting channel
Noad began publicising its reporting channel on 4 October. Within ten days, 36 cases were recorded: 35 came from the young people themselves and only one from parents. Before that, the unit was receiving around five reports per week.
In episodes where the team managed to contact families, the guardians were still unaware of the threats reported by their children.
"They feel much more at ease speaking to a police officer they have never seen via email than at home," says delegate Lisandrea Salvariego Colabuono.
13-year-old adolescent sought help via email in fear of retaliation
In one of the cases followed by the unit, a 13-year-old adolescent sent a report describing his fear and requesting guidance on what to do. In the message, which Folha had access to, he described how a perpetrator demanded money via Pix to avoid releasing his intimate photos and personal data from his family. The young person stated that he had kept records of the conversations as evidence and had contacted the Disque 100 helpline before approaching Noad.
For Karen Scavacini, a psychologist and founder of the Vita Alere Institute for Suicide Prevention and Post-vention, the choice reflects the fear of judgement and punishment at home. "Often it is not a matter of trusting a stranger more, but of being less afraid of their reaction," she says.
Young people fear disappointing their parents, losing their mobile phone or being blamed, according to Scavacini. "Extortion feeds on fear. The perpetrator makes the victim believe that if they tell, the consequence will be worse."
Case in São Paulo capital indicates suspected misuse of police system
In another case recorded in the São Paulo capital, the father of a 13-year-old adolescent discovered the extortion when checking his daughter's mobile phone. In an occurrence report from June obtained by Folha, he reports finding messages with instructions for luring girls and content depicting self-harm on platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Discord.
After confronting one of the suspects, the father began receiving threats from two other numbers. The report also indicates a suspected misuse of a Scientific Police system for consulting data used in the extortions. The case was referred to the Civil Police Ombudsman's office.
Delegate Colabuono states that the investigation identified one of the suspects, but protecting the adolescent required further interventions: after the parents removed the mobile phone, the team found that the young person was continuing to access the networks via a tablet.
Scavacini emphasises that protective measures should be built together with the adolescent. "Simply confiscating the mobile phone can make the victim feel doubly punished," she states.
Luring can begin in games and social networks
Luring can begin in any application or interactive game, such as Instagram, TikTok, Roblox, Free Fire and Discord, according to police. The exposure of personal data is treated by investigators as a red flag in assessing the risk of violence.
In response to Folha, the platforms stated that they adopt security measures and cooperate with authorities. Roblox cited the requirement of age verification for chat, parental controls and reporting tools. TikTok stated that it restricts direct messages for under-16s and forwards cases of sexual exploitation to the American NGO NCMEC (National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children). Discord said it shares data proactively with Brazilian authorities to support arrests. Telegram stated that it removes harmful content daily and responds to requests from bodies in the country.
Police guidance and alert signs for families
Noad handles cases from across Brazil. Upon identifying a minor under 18 years of age, the team seeks out the family, alerts the local police station and advises the formalisation of an occurrence report to proceed with the inquiry and identify the perpetrator.
Police guidance is to cut contact with the perpetrator, not comply with demands and file a report also on the platform itself. Messages and profile identifiers should be preserved. Police emphasise that victims or family members should never download or share child sexual abuse material to file reports.
The delegate emphasises that the first reaction of parents is usually disbelief, and that investigators advise the family not to judge and to welcome the victim so that the account occurs without barriers.
Scavacini recommends paying attention to signs such as changes in sleep, isolation, anxiety, constant fear, falling school performance and irritability. "Children and adolescents need to know that they can ask for help even when they have done something their parents do not approve of," the psychologist states.
Source: Google News BR — São Paulo