Cyber-attacks against Americans have reached unprecedented levels over the past two years, prompting federal and state governments to allocate funding towards bolstering cybersecurity measures for local governments. In the midst of this growing threat, law enforcement officials in Aurora, Colorado are currently investigating a series of disturbing reports concerning children being targeted with sextortion – a form of blackmail that involves the threat of publishing sexually explicit images.
The Aurora Police Department has shed light on the modus operandi of these scammers, explaining that they often coerce their victims into paying them money by threatening to release explicit material on the internet. In some cases, sextortion may involve the sharing of explicit images with others in exchange for monetary gain.
The initial report of this alarming scheme was made to a school resource officer on January 16, 2024. Since then, numerous additional reports have surfaced from students and officials at Aurora Hill and Mrachek middle schools, as well as Rangeview, Smoky Hill, Gateway, Vista Peak, Cherokee Trail, and Overland high schools.
According to the police, in six of these incidents, students claimed to be direct targets of the sextortion scheme after being contacted on Instagram by the suspect(s). Investigators have discovered that the suspect(s) approached some of the victims through unsolicited invitations to join an Instagram “Close Friends List” in exchange for money. This list allowed users to access sexually explicit content from the account holder.
Efforts to identify additional victims are underway, with the assistance of officials from the Cherry Creek School District and Aurora Public Schools. Furthermore, investigators have reached out to Meta, the parent company of Instagram, to help identify the owners of the suspect profiles and verify the authenticity of the shared photos and videos.
The investigation is ongoing, and the Aurora Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this matter to contact a detective at 303-627-3100, referencing case number AP2024-10276.
The rising occurrence of cyber-attacks and sextortion targeting students is a cause for concern, emphasizing the pressing need for increased cybersecurity measures and vigilance among both individuals and educational institutions.
