Police urge online safety for kids amid extortion threats

Parents should be alert to the online use of their children according to police. Photo / File

Police have urged parents to be alert to the potential risks facing children and young people who go online for ‘Safer Internet Day’ this week.

Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards, officer in charge of the police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (Oceanz) team, said supervising children and young people online was the best way to keep them safe.

“In the worst-case scenario, we see online extortion groups trying to persuade children and young people to record self-harm and sexually explicit acts, alongside other violent crimes.

“The footage is then circulated among members of the extortion group to gain notoriety and further extort victims,” Richards said.

“Offenders may also threaten to share these videos or images online or with the victim’s family and friends.

Richards said there was currently not a large amount of such offending in New Zealand, but it had a significant impact overseas.

“We want parents to be alert to the possible risks, but not alarmed.”

“Having open and regular conversations is the most important tip we can give any parent or caregiver,” Richards said.

“This ensures their young children feel comfortable to come forward about any online issues that may arise.”

Police advice for parents and caregivers:

• Supervision is essential.
• Check app privacy settings. This can include turning off location settings, setting profiles to private, or turning off chat functions.
• Address long-term impacts. Offenders will often use tactics such as fear or shame to manipulate young people and make them feel alienated or trapped like they cannot escape the situation.
• Report suspicious behaviour.

Police advice for victims:

• Stop talking to the offender and avoid sending any more images or videos — even if they are threatening you. Once you have complied with their demands, nothing is preventing them from targeting you again.
• Save all the online chat, and immediately take screenshots. This is important for making a report to police, they need all the evidence you can gather.
• Report the content and person’s profile to the platform and request content be removed.
• Block the profile.
• To report any offending to the police, call 111 in an emergency, and for non-emergencies, online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Make a Report” or by calling 105.