Feds warn of "staggering" sextortion scam that has targeted more than 3,000 minors
CBSN
Washington — More than 3,000 teenagers and young boys have been blackmailed online in what federal law enforcement officials called a "staggering" sextortion scam that has been tied to more than a dozen suicides by minors who were lured into sending explicit images.
In a briefing with reporters Monday, officials at the FBI and the Justice Department said a large portion of the sextortion crimes are motivated by "financial gain," not sex. In the past year, authorities have received more than 7,000 reports related to the scheme, originating primarily in Nigeria and the Ivory Coast.
The scam typically involves someone posing as a female using a fake account and enticing the victim into sending explicit material, which the scammer then threatens to release unless the victim sends money or gift card codes.
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Robert Morris, founding pastor of Gateway Church, a megachurch in Southlake, Texas, has been indicted on five counts of lewd or indecent acts with a child, stemming from alleged incidents dating back to the 1980s, the Oklahoma attorney general's office announced Wednesday. We are aware of the actions being taken by the legal authorities in Oklahoma and are grateful for the work of the justice system in holding abusers accountable for their actions. We continue to pray for Cindy Clemishire and her family, for the members and staff of Gateway Church, and for all of those impacted by this terrible situation.
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