A social media app called Wizz that’s been popular with teens in the U.S. and Canada over the last few years is pushing back against allegations that the platform allows predators to target young users for “sextortion.” The app, which describes itself as “a safe space to meet and chat with new friends around the […]
Tag: sextortion
SC lawmaker’s son died after online sextortion. Now he’s suing Facebook parent company
After losing his son to suicide after an online sextortion scheme, a South Carolina lawmaker is taking his fight to the courts, suing one of the largest social media companies in the world for, among other things, its role in his son’s untimely death. State Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-York, filed a lawsuit Monday in state […]
Family of teen who died by suicide warns of dangers of financial sextortion
Washington — James Woods, a 17-year-old college-bound track star, had just gotten his driver’s license and posed for his senior yearbook photo when an online predator targeted him on Instagram. James received 200 messages in less than 20 hours, according to his mother, Tamia Woods. “It ranged anywhere from ‘I own you,’ to ‘you need […]