Rifle Police Department has shared an important message for all teens and the adults in their lives. Like law enforcement agencies across the country, Rifle PD has received recent reports from concerned parents about predators and scammers targeting their kids. “If your child or teen has a Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram or other social media account, please talk to them about the dangers of the online world,” shares Rifle PD. “Adults fall victim to similar crimes and children are more susceptible because they feel comfortable using social media.” The following are some examples of what has happened to teens in the Rifle community. A suspect using various usernames contacted multiple girls with an offer of money to become his “sugar baby”. In another common example, a young man used a site to meet what he thought to be a young woman but in reality was a suspect posing as a young woman. The suspect sent racy pictures to the young man and then a few days later the victim received a call from the “dad” of the supposed young woman telling him that his daughter was underage and if he didn’t pay an amount of money, the supposed “dad” would call police. Finally, the most common scam targeting youth is a suspect will obtain compromising photos from the victim and then threaten to post the pictures unless the victim pays the suspect. “In blunt terms, there are men that collect child pornography and there are people that extort money online,” shares Rifle PD. “These people are VERY motivated…It is difficult to impossible to locate the suspects.” Be honest with your kids about the dangers online. Have the awkward conversations and monitor activity. Call law enforcement if your child is being extorted or to report abuse.
