More than a dozen years have passed since Port Coquitlam student Amanda Todd died after being extorted online.
Yet Tri-City teens are still being targeted by virtual bullies wanting to shame, embarrass and steal from them.
Today, March 26, Coquitlam RCMP issued an alert about the number of online sextortion schemes involving youth.
Specifically, the detachment has investigated several cases recently where kids were approached online, manipulated into sharing intimate images and ordered to hand over cash to conceal them.
The approach is the same as with Todd’s perpetrator: the suspect builds trust with the child by pretending to be a certain gender or age then pressures the victim into providing explicit photos.
Once sent, the suspect launches an extortion campaign to get money for not sharing them with the minor’s family and friends.
“The resulting fear, shame and confusion that sets in can be devastating for the victim,” said Coquitlam RCMP’s media spokesperson, A/Sgt. John Graham, in a news release.
He added, “Complying doesn’t ensure the privacy and safety of the victim nor will it guarantee that the criminal action will stop. It can be particularly scary for the victim as these criminals can be anywhere in the world.”
In Todd’s case, the offender, Aydin Coban, lives in the Netherlands and is serving his converted Canadian sentence of six years in jail (in 2022, Coban was convicted on four counts and received 13 years behind bars).
Todd took her life at her Port Coquitlam home after Coban bullied her for years for private images and released them online.
Coquitlam RCMP is now calling on parents and caregivers to speak with their teens about their online activities:
- ask which apps and websites are being used
- advise about extortions and the dangers of communicating with strangers online
- remind to never answer messages or accept friend/follow requests from strangers
- make clear not send photos to strangers
- answer video calls with the camera turned off until the receiver is identified
For more tips and resources, contact the Amanda Todd Legacy Society in Port Coquitlam.
To report an online extortion to Coquitlam RCMP, call 604-945-1550 or 911 if there is an immediate danger. You can also file a report via Cybertip.ca and, if the image/video is online, go to needhelpnow.ca.
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