Tiago Poças Lopes’ Post

‼️Financial sextortion cases are an acute threat to our children and young adults. 👉🏻 Creating awareness and teaching children about this issue is important! 💙GrECo offers training courses for their employees as part of its "Cyber Security Awareness Learnings". ✍️One of the next online training sessions, my colleague Jovana P. preparing, is on the subject of „MyIdentity“. It will focus on the 🧑💻 IT security awareness of children and young adults and how to handle personal information on social and online media. With these training sessions, we enable our employees to make their children aware of the dangers of using online media. #childprotection #myidentity #GrECo #matteroftrust

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🚨The FBI has seen a horrific increase in reports of financial sextortion schemes involving CHILDREN. In 2023, NCMEC received 26,718 cases, more than double the 10,731 from 2022. From October 2022 to March 2023, incident involving minors, jumped by at least 20%. Victims are typically males between the ages of 14 to 17, but any child can be targeted. Offenders often from countries like Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and the Philippines, are ruthless. These crimes are leading children to self-harm and have caused multiple child suicides. Victims of sextortion may feel overwhelmed or that there is no way out, but there is hope. If this happens to a child in your life, remember and emphasize that the blackmailer is to blame, not the child. Even if they made a choice they regret, what the offender is doing is a crime. If your child has been faced with sextortion, please report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Cyber Tipline 🆘 report.cybertip.org National Center for Missing & Exploited Children If you need some suggestions for how to talk to your child in an age-appropriate way about this tough topic, please let me know and please don't delay.

⚠️ Sextortion is the fastest-growing crime targeting teenagers globally. 📱This video—posted by a sextortion scammer on his personal TikTok page—makes it clear that these criminals believe they will never face consequences. 🌍 The criminal—an adult in Lagos, Nigeria—demanded 300€ from a 15 year old or else he would distribute the teen's compromising photos. ⌛ Their threats are relentless. One teen took his own life just 27 minutes into being blackmailed. 📸 One of their primary tactics is to create an Instagram group chat with the victim and his friends/followers. They begin leaking the victim's pics into the group chat until the ransom is paid for pics to be unsent. 🚨 At least 34 teens have died by suicide in the past two years while being blackmailed. 📈 In 2021, there were only 139 reported cases of financial sextortion targeting minors in the U.S. But by 2023, the cases skyrocketed to over 26,000. That's a 18,000% increase in two years. 🎭 Unmasked and unashamed, these scammers—called Yahoo Boys—are brazenly exploiting thousands of teens, generating millions of dollars, and leaving a trail of destruction and trauma in their wake. 👉 My research was cited in new coverage from the BBC: https://lnkd.in/emhaGCzm

🚨 Watch Out for Scams! Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones 🚨 Elder fraud is on the rise! Last year alone, scammers stole a staggering $3.4 billion from older adults, according to the FBI. 🔺 Increase in Elder Fraud: There was a 14% rise in scams targeting seniors from 2022 to 2023. 🔺 Most Common Scam: Fake investment opportunities that trick people into handing over their money. 🔺 Devastating Impact: Over 5,920 people over 60 lost more than $100,000 each to these scams last year. How Can We Fight Back? ✔️ Stay Vigilant: Be cautious of unexpected calls or emails from banks or strangers. ✔️ Trust Your Instincts: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. ✔️ Educate Yourself and Others: Learn about common scams and teach your loved ones too. ✔️ Report Suspicious Activity: If you suspect fraud, report it to the police immediately. #ElderFraud #FinancialSafety #InvestmentScams https://lnkd.in/eEuanTHG

What role does accurate identity verification play in ensuring the apprehension of suspects with prior criminal charges? Churches under threat: A recent burglary raises questions about security and identity verification in religious institutions. A suspect was arrested for a burglary at the United Church Center in Birmingham, AL. The suspect, Hollis Smith, was found to have lied about his identity and had four prior sodomy charges. He faces charges for third-degree burglary and obstructing justice. Key Takeaways: - Enhanced Security Protocols: Churches and religious centers should assess and strengthen their security measures to prevent unauthorized access and theft. - Importance of Identity Verification: Accurate identity verification is crucial for apprehending suspects, particularly those with a history of serious criminal charges. - Inter-agency Coordination: Effective communication and coordination between law enforcement agencies are essential for the timely capture and prosecution of suspects with multiple charges. #churchsecurity #churchsafety https://lnkd.in/guSb6Ykx

♦️Secure Talk : New scam luring men to impregnate childless women in return for handsome money ! Online scams are surfacing in new avatars lately. One such recent scam is "All India Pregnant Job (Baby Birth Service)". There have been reports of such scams in India where men are lured into depositing money with the promise of impregnating childless women. The scam is carried out by fraudsters who pose as representatives of a fictitious company called "All India Pregnant Job Service". The victims are shown pictures of married women and are falsely promised that they will help them get pregnant. The scam has reportedly conned hundreds of men across the country. It's important to be cautious and not fall prey to such scams. PS: Multiple reports in dailymail.co.uk, www.bbc.com, timesnownews, indiatoday.in etc

Scams like this are getting more common with every passing day. Het Mehta was aware of the fraud beforehand hence he didn't panic and kept his calm while dealing with the fraudster. Many people who are unaware of it will severely panic in such a situation. As security experts, we must do our best to spread awareness about such a situation, so that people are well aware of it. We at SECUREU conduct cybersecurity awareness training for businesses and their employees to keep them aware of such scams and help them stay safe and protected. #cybersecurity #CyberAwareness #Scam