Latest news with #JordanDeMay
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Chilling tactics sick sextortion scammers use to lure kids into sending naked pics & why YOU could be their next target
Users are at risk even if they've NEVER sent a nude before CYBER CAUTION Chilling tactics sick sextortion scammers use to lure kids into sending naked pics & why YOU could be their next target BRITS have been warned about what sextortion scammers look out for in victims - and how to avoid falling into their trap. Teenage boys are at particular risk of being targeted by Nigerian sextortion gangs posing as young women, according to the National Crime Agency. 3 Officials say victims should never pay if they're targeted Credit: Getty 3 Example of the sorts of AI images being used to scam young lads 3 Young people are at particular risk from sextortion scams Credit: Getty But a charity has warned that the problem can strike at any age or gender. Sextortion is a cybercrime in which criminals use fake identities to befriend victims online before persuading them to perform sexual acts on camera. These images or videos are then recorded, and the criminals threaten to share them online unless victims pay up - though demands for money don't usually stop there. In a number of tragic cases it has driven kids to suicide. Scottish teen Murray Dowey, 16, took his own life in 2023 after he was tricked into sending an intimate image before it was used to blackmail him. And in 2022, Jordan DeMay, 17, died by suicide after he too was targeted online by a criminal gang posing as a teenage girl. Along with Nigeria, fraudsters often come from the Ivory Coast and the Philippines. "They often target those with the ability to pay and who would have a lot to lose if the video is shared," a spokesperson for The Cyber Helpline told The Sun. "The most important thing for victims to remember is that if this is happening to them, they are likely the victim of organised and highly-experienced criminals - they are not alone and confidential support is available." The NCA's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command Safety Centre received 380 reports of sextortion in 2024. Between January 2024 and January 2025, 19 per cent of victims using The Cyber Helpline's services for support from sextortion crimes were male. Scams rely on secrecy. Breaking that silence is the first step to recovery and justice The Cyber Helpline But the charity believes the number is not indicative of the actual gender balance among sextortion crimes, knowing men are less likely than women to report or seek support for these kinds of issues because of feelings of embarrassment and shame amongst men associated with crimes of a sexual nature. Men most likely to fall victim to revenge porn were between the ages of 18 and 24 (37.5%), closely followed by 25 to 39 year-olds (31.3%). 'Yahoo Boys' scam network exposed: AI-powered sextortion linked to UK teen suicides as social media giants crack down But The Cyber Helpline says it has worked with victims across all ages, including 21.9% of victims sitting within the ages of 40 to 66 years old, and 9.3% being between the ages of 13 to 17. Who do sextortion scammers target? The Cyber Helpline says there is no single 'type' of person who falls victim to sextortion, warning that anyone can be targeted. However, some patterns do emerge. For example, young men seeking online relationships or casual encounters, especially those flattered by attention, are often disproportionately targeted. But ultimately, the success of these scams depends far more on timing and emotional vulnerability than on personality traits. "Many victims are simply caught off-guard during periods of loneliness, stress, or curiosity - moments when judgement may be impaired," a spokesperson for The Cyber Helpline said. "The impact can be profound, often leading to anxiety, shame, and even suicidal thoughts. The emotional toll is often what traps victims in silence. "That's why it's essential to remove the stigma, reinforce the message that victims are not to blame, and encourage reporting and seeking help. "Scams rely on secrecy. Breaking that silence is the first step to recovery and justice." So what should everyone do to avoid falling victim to a sextortion scam? 1. Trust your gut If it feels too good to be true, then it probably is, the Cyber Helpline says. If you feel something is wrong and you are being asked to do things you are uncomfortable with, then put an end to the conversation immediately and seek advice. 2. Be careful of requests for sexual acts Avoid situations where you remove clothes or perform sexual acts online. This can include in front of a webcam, digital camera or smartphone. The minute that information goes online or comes into someone else's possession, you immediately lose control of it. 3. Be careful who you connect to on social media or dating sites Do not accept friend requests from complete strangers and be incredibly wary of direct messages from strangers. Use a different email address on dating sites and make sure the email address doesn't give away any personal details such as your full name. And don't assume that it's a safe contact just because you have mutual friends. "A scammer may connect with your friends first to appear genuine before targeting your account," warned Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, at web security firm ESET. "It's important to do your due diligence and verify any authentic connections on anyone you meet online too, before engaging in anything that may lead to sensitive communications." 4. Think about your online privacy and security Avoid sharing sensitive information about yourself online, such as address and contact details. Review your social media profiles and remove anything that can be used against you. Ensure you have strong security in place on your online accounts. What to do if you fall victim to a sextortion Report it Contact your local police station. The police will take your case seriously, will deal with it in confidence and will not judge you for being in this situation. You should also report this to your internet service provider who will be able to preserve any evidence they have relating to the communications from the criminals and to the provider the recorded call was made on. Victim under 18 years of age should, in coordination with a trusted adult if possible, report the crime to the CEOP, a government team dedicated to helping victims of child exploitation and furthering online protection for minors, in addition to your local police station. Cut communications Don't communicate further with the criminals. Don't pay Many victims who have paid in the belief that the perpetrators will fulfil their promise of deleting the recordings, instead continue to receive more demands for higher amounts of money from the perpetrators. In some cases, even when the demands have been met the offenders will still go on to post the explicit videos. If you have already paid, check to see if the money has been collected. If it has, and if you are able, then make a note of where it was collected from. If it hasn't, then you can cancel the payment - and the sooner you do that the better. Preserve evidence Take screenshots of all your communication. Make a note of all details provided by the offenders, for example; the Zoom/Google Teams name (particularly the ID if possible), the Facebook URL; the Western Union or MoneyGram Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN); the virtual currency payment details; any photos/videos that were sent, etc. Importantly, do not delete any correspondence. Block sharing If you have a copy of the content -then you may be able to block it being shared on some platforms. For example, may be able to help prevent images being shared on their partner platforms which include Facebook, TikTok and OnlyFans. Deepfake danger There's also concern about AI and deepfake technology that mean fraudsters don't even need explicit content from you to carry out blackmail. Instead, they can create realistic fake videos using a single image to place your face onto explicit content to threaten you with instead. "Crucially, scammers often pretend to be someone you'd find sexually attractive," The Cyber Helpline says. "For many male victims, this means offenders impersonate young women to initiate flirtatious or sexual conversations. "But the tactic is adaptable — the scammer tailors their persona to the perceived orientation and desires of the target. "This is why awareness and caution are essential, regardless of your sexual orientation. "Offenders typically follow a highly standardised script, and while the platforms they use — from mainstream apps to niche sites — may change, the underlying methods remain consistent." If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
The Sun
4 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Chilling tactics sick sextortion scammers use to lure kids into sending naked pics & why YOU could be their next target
BRITS have been warned about what sextortion scammers look out for in victims - and how to avoid falling into their trap. Teenage boys are at particular risk of being targeted by Nigerian sextortion gangs posing as young women, according to the National Crime Agency. 3 3 3 But a charity has warned that the problem can strike at any age or gender. Sextortion is a cybercrime in which criminals use fake identities to befriend victims online before persuading them to perform sexual acts on camera. These images or videos are then recorded, and the criminals threaten to share them online unless victims pay up - though demands for money don't usually stop there. In a number of tragic cases it has driven kids to suicide. Scottish teen Murray Dowey, 16, took his own life in 2023 after he was tricked into sending an intimate image before it was used to blackmail him. And in 2022, Jordan DeMay, 17, died by suicide after he too was targeted online by a criminal gang posing as a teenage girl. Along with Nigeria, fraudsters often come from the Ivory Coast and the Philippines. "They often target those with the ability to pay and who would have a lot to lose if the video is shared," a spokesperson for The Cyber Helpline told The Sun. "The most important thing for victims to remember is that if this is happening to them, they are likely the victim of organised and highly-experienced criminals - they are not alone and confidential support is available." The NCA's Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command Safety Centre received 380 reports of sextortion in 2024. Between January 2024 and January 2025, 19 per cent of victims using The Cyber Helpline's services for support from sextortion crimes were male. But the charity believes the number is not indicative of the actual gender balance among sextortion crimes, knowing men are less likely than women to report or seek support for these kinds of issues because of feelings of embarrassment and shame amongst men associated with crimes of a sexual nature. Men most likely to fall victim to revenge porn were between the ages of 18 and 24 (37.5%), closely followed by 25 to 39 year-olds (31.3%). But The Cyber Helpline says it has worked with victims across all ages, including 21.9% of victims sitting within the ages of 40 to 66 years old, and 9.3% being between the ages of 13 to 17. Who do sextortion scammers target? The Cyber Helpline says there is no single 'type' of person who falls victim to sextortion, warning that anyone can be targeted. However, some patterns do emerge. For example, young men seeking online relationships or casual encounters, especially those flattered by attention, are often disproportionately targeted. But ultimately, the success of these scams depends far more on timing and emotional vulnerability than on personality traits. "Many victims are simply caught off-guard during periods of loneliness, stress, or curiosity - moments when judgement may be impaired," a spokesperson for The Cyber Helpline said. "The impact can be profound, often leading to anxiety, shame, and even suicidal thoughts. The emotional toll is often what traps victims in silence. "That's why it's essential to remove the stigma, reinforce the message that victims are not to blame, and encourage reporting and seeking help. "Scams rely on secrecy. Breaking that silence is the first step to recovery and justice." So what should everyone do to avoid falling victim to a sextortion scam? 1. Trust your gut If it feels too good to be true, then it probably is, the Cyber Helpline says. If you feel something is wrong and you are being asked to do things you are uncomfortable with, then put an end to the conversation immediately and seek advice. 2. Be careful of requests for sexual acts Avoid situations where you remove clothes or perform sexual acts online. This can include in front of a webcam, digital camera or smartphone. The minute that information goes online or comes into someone else's possession, you immediately lose control of it. 3. Be careful who you connect to on social media or dating sites Do not accept friend requests from complete strangers and be incredibly wary of direct messages from strangers. Use a different email address on dating sites and make sure the email address doesn't give away any personal details such as your full name. And don't assume that it's a safe contact just because you have mutual friends. "A scammer may connect with your friends first to appear genuine before targeting your account," warned Jake Moore, Global Cybersecurity Advisor, at web security firm ESET. "It's important to do your due diligence and verify any authentic connections on anyone you meet online too, before engaging in anything that may lead to sensitive communications." 4. Think about your online privacy and security Avoid sharing sensitive information about yourself online, such as address and contact details. Review your social media profiles and remove anything that can be used against you. Ensure you have strong security in place on your online accounts. What to do if you fall victim to a sextortion Report it Contact your local police station. The police will take your case seriously, will deal with it in confidence and will not judge you for being in this situation. You should also report this to your internet service provider who will be able to preserve any evidence they have relating to the communications from the criminals and to the provider the recorded call was made on. Victim under 18 years of age should, in coordination with a trusted adult if possible, report the crime to the CEOP, a government team dedicated to helping victims of child exploitation and furthering online protection for minors, in addition to your local police station. Cut communications Don't communicate further with the criminals. Don't pay Many victims who have paid in the belief that the perpetrators will fulfil their promise of deleting the recordings, instead continue to receive more demands for higher amounts of money from the perpetrators. In some cases, even when the demands have been met the offenders will still go on to post the explicit videos. If you have already paid, check to see if the money has been collected. If it has, and if you are able, then make a note of where it was collected from. If it hasn't, then you can cancel the payment - and the sooner you do that the better. Preserve evidence Take screenshots of all your communication. Make a note of all details provided by the offenders, for example; the Zoom/Google Teams name (particularly the ID if possible), the Facebook URL; the Western Union or MoneyGram Money Transfer Control Number (MTCN); the virtual currency payment details; any photos/videos that were sent, etc. Importantly, do not delete any correspondence. Block sharing If you have a copy of the content -then you may be able to block it being shared on some platforms. For example, may be able to help prevent images being shared on their partner platforms which include Facebook, TikTok and OnlyFans. Deepfake danger There's also concern about AI and deepfake technology that mean fraudsters don't even need explicit content from you to carry out blackmail. Instead, they can create realistic fake videos using a single image to place your face onto explicit content to threaten you with instead. "Crucially, scammers often pretend to be someone you'd find sexually attractive," The Cyber Helpline says. "For many male victims, this means offenders impersonate young women to initiate flirtatious or sexual conversations. "But the tactic is adaptable — the scammer tailors their persona to the perceived orientation and desires of the target. "This is why awareness and caution are essential, regardless of your sexual orientation. "Offenders typically follow a highly standardised script, and while the platforms they use — from mainstream apps to niche sites — may change, the underlying methods remain consistent." If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.
The Sun
28-05-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Inside sextortion 'call centres' luring kids to send naked pics online
A YOUNG boy sits on his phone late at night when a ping alerts him to a new message in his Instagram inbox - opening it, he sees a photo of a stunning brunette who wants to chat. They strike up a conversation and talk for hours, but he has no idea that the person on the other end of the phone is not really an attractive woman but a man thousands of miles away in Nigeria. Scammers are using AI images to pretend to be women and trick men into sending naked images online in sextortion schemes Credit: Supplied Sextortion victim Murray Dowey was just 16 when he took his own life in December 2023 Credit: ITV Conversation between a cybercriminal and a potential victim shows how AI can be used to catfish victims Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Teenager Jordan DeMay took his own life after being targeted by scammers on Instagram Credit: DeMay Family This skilled catfisher - one of many contacting unsuspecting Brits -spends time building up a connection with the victim before encouraging him to send sexual images in cruel sextortion schemes. When the scammer has the victim - who they normally snare online via dating apps or social media - they are bombarded with threatening messages and blackmailed for money to stop the images being posted online. For some vicitms, the torment has becomes too much. At least 20 people are believed to have died by suicide after having their lives ruined by sextortion scammers like these, according to the FBI. And experts fear the numbers will continue to rise if more is not done to target vile gangs preying on British men and boys as young as eleven. Several gangs are now believed to be targeting victims on TikTok and Instagram, then brazenly flaunting their cash from sick scams. Pictures showed convicted fraudster Ramon Abbas, who started life as a Yahoo Boy, posing with private jets and super cars - while others flashed designer watches. They work in a call centre type of environment, targeting thousands of people a day. It's their day job. Amanda Dashwood, These sick sextortion rings even use these images and videos to attract recruits, training them on how to destroy people's lives for cash. The gangs are now operating on such a large scale that they have set up sick 'call centres' to scam thousands of victims every day. Amanda Dashwood, who supports victims of intimate image abuse via a government-funded helpline, told The Sun: "They tend to be based in the Philippines or Western Africa. "They're the hotspots for this and they work in a call centre type of environment, targeting thousands of people a day. It's their day job. Last week, it was reported that the FBI cracked down on a sophisticated network of scammers in Nigeria who operate on TikTok. Pals of sextortion victim targeted by scammers- ITV They call themselves the "BM Boys" - with BM standing for blackmail - and hundreds of men in West Africa participated in the scheme. Explaining how these sick scammers work, Amanda says: "What generally happens is that two people meet online, over social media or a dating website. "And the blackmailers will catfish - they pretend to be a stereotypically attractive young woman. They are very good at what they do. "They are very skilled, they will spend some time trying to build a connection and trust. They will convince people to share sexually explicit images or perform a sexually explicit act on a webcam." It's at this point that the tone of the conversation takes a terrifying turn - the blackmailer ominously starts by saying, "I'm going to ruin your life" and then bombards the victim with threats. Amanda said the best thing for the victim to do is to stop contact and block the blackmailer as soon as possible. She adds: "When they realise they won't get any money, they get bored and give up quickly. "But often it works - people send them huge amounts of money. Sometimes, they put really nasty accusations in their threats, saying they'll tell people the victim thought they were speaking to a child. "If contact has gone on for a long time, sometimes they ramp up the threat level and send images to a few people. "They will find their friends and family on social media and send screenshots of their profiles [to the victim]. They will ask for large sums of money or they will send [the relatives] the images. "If the person is blocked straight away, it is incredibly rare that the content is shared because they don't get anything out of it." She says that sometimes the blackmailer will create a vile collage out of the sexual images, with personal details of the victim over it. She adds: "It's really scary for people and it has a really awful effect on lots of people - lots of people have taken their lives because in that moment they've been totally overwhelmed and not seen a way out." In 2023, Scottish teen Murray Dowey, 16, was contacted online by someone posing as a young woman who claimed to be keen to strike up a friendship. The schoolboy was tricked into sending an intimate image before it was used to blackmail him. Murray, of Dunblane, Perthshire, tragically died by suicide just hours later. His devastated family said their 'whole world has been shattered' as they warned other children about the dangers of the internet. In a similar tragedy in 2022, 17-year-old Jordan DeMay took his own life after being targeted by a criminal gang online. Three Nigerian men posed as a teenage girl on Instagram, luring the teenager into sending intimate photographs. Yahoo boys showing off their designer watches Credit: Supplied Ramon Abbas is one scammer seen flaunting his lavish lifestyle online Credit: Richard Rayner He would boast about his supercars and flights in private jets after fleecing victims Credit: Richard Rayner Messages above show how others are recruited into the sick gangs and trained to scam victims Credit: Supplied The men - two of which are now serving sentences for their part in scheme - blackmailed him before he tragically killed himself six hours later. Amanda, who works for the Revenge Porn Helpline which helps victims get intimate images removed from the internet, says while revenge porn victims tend to be women, when it comes to sextortion it is mainly men being targeted. She says: "When a guy calls us and they've just received this threat, it's full-on panic. "It's 'oh my god they've sent me this image and they said they will share it with all my friends and family if I don't give them a grand'. It's shock, panic. "On the other side of the scale, there are people calling us who had the image shared a few years ago and they're still struggling to take it down - the desperation is really there." Amanda said it is generally men between the ages of 18 and 35 who are targeted, but it happens to children as well. "Young boys are being targeted in this way. We deal with adults, and what we see is that it's always financially motivated. "With children, there is a financial aspect; children are being asked for £5 gift cards which just seems so cruel and so horrible. But the threats with children goes into more the grooming side of things." Part of the helpline's job is working to get images removed if they have been shared without a victim's consent. While the Revenge Porn Helpline has a 90 per cent success rate, in some cases - when the website has been set up for solely for that purpose - it gets much harder. 'Sextortion' is a type of online blackmail. It's when criminals threaten to share sexual pictures, videos, or information about you unless you pay money or do something else you don't want to. Anyone can be a victim of sextortion. However, young people aged between 15 to 17, and adults aged under 30, are often most at risk. Criminals often target people through dating apps, social media, webcams, or pornography sites. They may use a fake identity to befriend you online. If a person you've just met online chats to you in a sexual way, or asks for sexual images, it might be an attempt at sextortion. You should be wary if someone you've met online: is trying to start a relationship with you very quickly (they may even send you a sexual image first) chats to you in a sexual way, or asks for sexual images, soon after you've met them. has sent friend requests to lots of people, not just you repeatedly asks you to do sexual things that you're not comfortable with tells you they've hacked your account or have access to your contacts Sextortion attempts can happen very quickly, or they can happen over a long time. You should never share sexual images or information about yourself if you are not comfortable. You can still be a victim of sextortion if you haven't shared sexual images or information. Criminals may have hacked one of your accounts, or created edited or fake images or videos, like deepfakes, of you that appear real. Even if blackmail isn't involved, sharing or threatening to share intimate photos or videos of you without your permission is illegal. This is called 'revenge porn' or intimate image abuse. From the Met Police website "It can be really difficult to get images removed and there are cases we've been dealing with since the helpline opened. "There are hundreds of thousands of [copies] of the content, we're never really going to get rid of it all. "We will usually - with their permission - do a reverse image search or use facial recognition to see where else the image has been uploaded to build up a list of all the websites where the content has been shared. "We then contact each of the websites one by one to say it was taken illegally and ask for it to be taken down. Most websites will respond and do what we say. "Some don't. Some - there are a lot of websites that exist with the full intention of what they are doing. In that case, we will contact the hosting provider and will try a few times - but 10 per cent of the content never gets taken down. "So in that case, we tell the client that they can submit a privacy complaint to Google to stop the content from coming up in a search if it's attached to their name." As with all types of sexual offences, there is a massive aspect of victim-blaming in intimate image abuse. Clients who called the helpline said police asked them why they took the picture in the first place. Amanda says: "It's so sad. With any type of sexual violence, there is always this shame and guilt and it's really perpetuated by society. It's really horrible. "It's so important to remind them that they haven't done anything wrong, they've had their trust broken." She urged anyone who is a victim to get in touch with the helpline, which is government-funded and free to use. If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123. Jordan DeMay was threatened with having his private pictures shared with family in a 'sextortion scam' Credit: Pictured are Ros and Mark, Murray Dowey's parents who fear other children could become victims Credit: ITV
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
4 Georgians, 1 Alabaman plead guilty in money laundering, sextortion scheme
A federal case in Michigan led to four men from Georgia and one from Alabama pleading guilty to playing a role in a sexual extortion scheme. According to the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, the five men all pled guilty to conspiring to launder the money earned by Nigerian sex extortionists. The U.S. Attorney's Office said five men 'used online payment systems to collect sextortion proceeds and send them to a Nigerian individual they referred to as 'The Plug.'' The indictment against the five men said the sextortionists 'had boys and young men create nude images,' then, when the sextortionists received the pictures, they allegedly had the victims send money 'to the U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App and Zelle.' [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The launderers kept 20%, converting the rest into bitcoin to send to 'The Plug,' who kept a portion, then sent the remaining funds to the sextortionists involved. Federal officials said three Nigerian nationals were charged in a sextortion scheme in 2022 after 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, a victim, died. TRENDING STORIES: LIVE UPDATES: Tornado watch issued for NW Georgia, parts of metro Atlanta, Flood watch issued Thousands turn out across Metro Atlanta to protest against presidential policies 1 dead after shooting in Gwinnett County shopping center parking lot The following five individuals pled guilty to conspiring to launder proceeds for Nigerian sex extortionists: Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Ala., pleaded guilty on January 22, 2025. Kendall Ormond London, 32, of Lithonia, Ga., pleaded guilty on March 26, 2025. Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., pleaded guilty on March 28, 2025. Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, of McDonough, Ga. pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025. Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, of Stone Mountain, Ga., pleaded guilty on April 2, 2025. 'These individuals helped and profited from this awful, heartbreaking scheme and so they now will face the consequences,' Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said in a statement. The conspiracy offense is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The court will decide the sentences upon consultation with federal sentencing guidelines and the individual circumstances. The FBI provides the following recommendations for how to protect yourself from sextortion schemes: Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you. Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers. Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims. Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and that person asks you to start talking on a different platform. Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually 'disappears' online. Once you send something, you don't have any control over where it goes next. Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don't seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone. Being a victim of sextortion is not your fault. You can get through this challenge, even if it seems scary and overwhelming. There are people who want to help.[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Yahoo
Five Americans plead guilty in sextortion scheme connected to Michigan teen's suicide
Photo of Jordan DeMay provided by John DeMay Five individuals charged for their part in a Nigerian sextortion scheme that targeted more than 100 victims, including a Michigan teen who killed himself as a result, pleaded guilty, the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Michigan announced Thursday. The individuals, who were charged with conspiring to launder money extorted from boys and young men using sexually sensitive images by Nigerian criminals, were all Americans. After the sextortionists coerced the victims into sending the images, they would extort them for money that was sent to the five U.S.-based money launderers through online payment systems, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Michigan. The five launderers would take their cut, 20%, and send the rest to a Nigerian individual they referred to as 'The Plug', who took a cut and sent the rest to the extortionists themselves. But when the extortionists couldn't get victims to send money, they would demand other things. This was the case for 17-year-old Marquette Senior High School student Jordan DeMay. In 2022, in a matter of six hours, the Nigerian extortionists managed to extort sexual images from the teen and convince him to kill himself if he didn't comply with their demands. 'He was tragically tortured,' DeMay's father John DeMay said during a news conference to bring awareness to the issue of sextortion in 2024. 'He was convinced and groomed into sending an explicit picture of himself, which he did and when that happened, the extortion started. It was vicious, it was consistent, it was methodical and it was purposeful.' The launderers who pleaded include: Dinsimore Guyton Robinson, 29, of Huntsville, Alabama Kendall Ormond London, 32, of Lithonia, Georgia Brian Keith Coldmon, Jr., 30, of Peachtree Corners, Georgia Jarell Daivon Williams, 31, of McDonough, Georgia Johnathan Demetrius Green, 32, of Stone Mountain, Georgia The conspiracy offense carries a 20-year maximum prison sentence. In recent months, Andrew Birge, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, has brought attention to the problem of sextortion in the modern age, noting that it too often can result in tragedy, like in Jordan DeMay's case. And in reflecting on the launderers' role in this sextortion scheme, Birge said in a news release that 'these individuals helped and profited from this awful, heartbreaking scheme and so they now will face the consequences.' The Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation have been calling attention to the emerging threat of sexual violence online being perpetrated by utilizing sexually sensitive images to extort victims, also known as 'sextortion'. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
