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ScamsNOW!
The SCARS Institute Magazine about Scam Victims-Survivors, Scams, Fraud & Cybercrime
SEXTORTION SCAM WARNING – URGENT – 2024
Very High Sextortion Scam Risk Targeting Teen Victims
Authors:
• SCARS Editorial Team – Society of Citizens Against Relationship Scams Inc.
• Portions from Paul Raffile, Teleo, Intel Analyst | Investigator | Security Strategy | Digital Risk | OSINT
Article Abstract
This article details an urgent Sextortion Scam Warning that has the potential to affect millions more teens in the coming weeks. Please help – read, respond and share, and report.
♦♦♦ Sextortion Scam Warning! We Need Your Help! We Need You To Report The Wizz App On The Google App Store And In The Apple iTunes Store, Then Report It To The FTC!
This Is Catastrophic And It Is Happening Right Under Our Noses!
TALK TO YOUR TEENS ABOUT SCAMS AND SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SEXTORTION SCAMS!
♦ There will be a nationwide child exploitation emergency on Monday, January 15th, unless you can urgently help.
Scam Warning: The ‘Wizz’ app has a Massive Sextortion Problem.
JUST LOOK AT THE PHOTOS BELOW FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING
• Tens of thousands of kids, mostly boys, are being systematically scammed by criminals into taking nude photos, while the criminal screenshots/copies all their Instagram followers. Immediately following, then blackmail starts, threatening to leak the nude pics to all the victim’s family and friends unless a ransom is paid.
• This specific crime, financial sextortion, began to increase exponentially 18 months ago, in part due to Wizz’s growth and easily circumventable safety features connecting criminals to kids, with ineffective safeguards.
• At least 21 kids have died by suicide in these past 18 months as a direct result of financial sextortion – but this is just what has been reported – no one knows the real values. This is a 20,000% increase since 2019
• In a Wizz poll of 500 English-speaking Wizz users, 40% said they had been blackmailed on the platform–far more than any other platform we know of. Note that a supermajority (77%) of these victims were minors under 18.
• Since summer, Wizz is now the the #3 platform for incidents of sextortion reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, behind only Instagram and Snapchat. Wizz is so tiny compared to Insta and Snap, meaning that sextortion is rampant and has saturated Wizz beyond control.
• To further measure the prevalence of sextortion targeting minors on Wizz, the team of analysts at TENEO created 10 experimental profiles representing young males across the U.S. in a mix of cities and rural areas. All 10 of these accounts were targeted by sextortion criminals during their first 48 hours on the app.
Urgent Monday January 15, 2024 Scam Warning
⚠️⚠️⚠️ On Monday, January 15th, Wizz is hosting its first-ever weeklong “Influencer House” to expand its reach in the United States. This will cause a tsunami of new sextortion victims who will fall for carefully laid traps set by criminals on Wizz.
Report this NOW!
We urgently need Apple and Google to enforce their App Store policies and remove Wizz from the App Store. It unquestionably poses an imminent risk of harm to children.
♦ THE WAY TO DO THIS IS GO TO YOUR PHONE’S APP STORE, SEARCH FOR WIZZ AND LEAVE A VERY BAD ONE-STAR REVIEW WARNING ABOUT THE VERY HIGH RISKS OF SCAMMERS ON THIS APP!
Beyond the rampant sextortion on their platform, Wizz actively serves unskippable pornographic ads to minors. This is a clear violation of App Store Policy and Google Play policy and should immediately trigger a takedown for review.
♦ THE WAY TO REPORT THIS IS GO TO THE FTC WEBSITE AND REPORT WIZZ FOR BOTH SEXTORTION SCAMS AND VIOLATIONS OF COPPA (CHILDREN’S ONLINE PRIVACY & PROTECTION ACT) – GO HERE TO REPORT: https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/?orgcode=SCARS
YOU CAN QUOTE THIS WHEN REPORTING TO THE FTC: App Store policy 2.5.18 “Ads displayed in an app must be appropriate for the app’s age rating, allow the user to see all information used to target them for that ad (without requiring the user to leave the app)…Apps that contain ads must also include the ability for users to report any inappropriate or age-inappropriate ads.”) & See Google Developer Policy on “Inappropriate Ads”
PLEASE HELP – THIS COULD HELP SAVE THE LIFE OF YOUR CHILD OR GRANDCHILD!
♦ Learn more about sextortion here: https://romancescamsnow.com/dating-scams/sextortion-blackmail-extortion-scams-article-catalog/
Information courtesy of Paul Raffile, Teleo, Intel Analyst | Investigator | Security Strategy | Digital Risk | OSINT
Evidence Photos & More Information
More:
-/ 30 /-
What do you think about this?
Please share your thoughts in a comment above!
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Important Information for New Scam Victims
Please visit www.ScamVictimsSupport.org – a SCARS Website for New Scam Victims & Sextortion Victims
SCARS Institute now offers a free recovery program at www.SCARSeducation.org
Please visit www.ScamPsychology.org – to more fully understand the psychological concepts involved in scams and scam victim recovery
If you are looking for local trauma counselors, please visit counseling.AgainstScams.org
If you need to speak with someone now, you can dial 988 or find phone numbers for crisis hotlines all around the world here: www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines
Statement About Victim Blaming
Some of our articles discuss various aspects of victims. This is both about better understanding victims (the science of victimology) and their behaviors and psychology. This helps us to educate victims/survivors about why these crimes happened and not to blame themselves, better develop recovery programs, and help victims avoid scams in the future. At times, this may sound like blaming the victim, but it does not blame scam victims; we are simply explaining the hows and whys of the experience victims have.
These articles, about the Psychology of Scams or Victim Psychology – meaning that all humans have psychological or cognitive characteristics in common that can either be exploited or work against us – help us all to understand the unique challenges victims face before, during, and after scams, fraud, or cybercrimes. These sometimes talk about some of the vulnerabilities the scammers exploit. Victims rarely have control of them or are even aware of them, until something like a scam happens, and then they can learn how their mind works and how to overcome these mechanisms.
Articles like these help victims and others understand these processes and how to help prevent them from being exploited again or to help them recover more easily by understanding their post-scam behaviors. Learn more about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
SCARS INSTITUTE RESOURCES:
IF YOU HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY A SCAM OR CYBERCRIME
♦ If you are a victim of scams, go to www.ScamVictimsSupport.org for real knowledge and help
♦ Enroll in SCARS Scam Survivor’s School now at www.SCARSeducation.org
♦ To report criminals, visit https://reporting.AgainstScams.org – we will NEVER give your data to money recovery companies like some do!
♦ Sign up for our free support & recovery help by https://support.AgainstScams.org
♦ Join our WhatsApp Chat Group at: https://chat.whatsapp.com/BPDSYlkdHBbDBg8gfTGb02
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♦ SCARS Institute Songs for Victim-Survivors: https://www.youtube.com/playlist…
♦ See SCARS Institute Scam Victim Self-Help Books at https://shop.AgainstScams.org
♦ Learn about the Psychology of Scams at www.ScamPsychology.org
♦ Dig deeper into the reality of scams, fraud, and cybercrime at www.ScamsNOW.com and www.RomanceScamsNOW.com
♦ Scam Survivor’s Stories: www.ScamSurvivorStories.org
♦ For Scam Victim Advocates visit www.ScamVictimsAdvocates.org
♦ See more scammer photos on www.ScammerPhotos.com
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Psychology Disclaimer:
All articles about psychology and the human brain on this website are for information & education only
The information provided in this and other SCARS articles are intended for educational and self-help purposes only and should not be construed as a substitute for professional therapy or counseling.
Note about Mindfulness: Mindfulness practices have the potential to create psychological distress for some individuals. Please consult a mental health professional or experienced meditation instructor for guidance should you encounter difficulties.
While any self-help techniques outlined herein may be beneficial for scam victims seeking to recover from their experience and move towards recovery, it is important to consult with a qualified mental health professional before initiating any course of action. Each individual’s experience and needs are unique, and what works for one person may not be suitable for another.
Additionally, any approach may not be appropriate for individuals with certain pre-existing mental health conditions or trauma histories. It is advisable to seek guidance from a licensed therapist or counselor who can provide personalized support, guidance, and treatment tailored to your specific needs.
If you are experiencing significant distress or emotional difficulties related to a scam or other traumatic event, please consult your doctor or mental health provider for appropriate care and support.
Also read our SCARS Institute Statement about Professional Care for Scam Victims – click here
If you are in crisis, feeling desperate, or in despair, please call 988 or your local crisis hotline.
More ScamsNOW.com Articles
High-Functioning Anxiety in Scam Victims – 2025
Vulnerability to Scams Caused by Past Relationships is Like a River Running through Your Life Cutting Channels – 2025
Hate for Scammers and Criminals Feels So Good But is So Bad for Scam Victims – 2025
Overton’s Window – a Commentary on the Acceptance of Criminality and Scams in our Society and World – 2025
Acknowledging The Harm Done – 2025
Beginning Again and Scam Victim Recovery -2025
The Prodigal Son or Daughter – Returning ‘Home’ After the Scam – 2025
Nirvana and the Path to Letting Go of Suffering – 2025
A Question of Trust
At the SCARS Institute, we invite you to do your own research on the topics we speak about and publish. Our team investigates the subject being discussed, especially when it comes to understanding the scam victims-survivors’ experience. You can do Google searches, but in many cases, you will have to wade through scientific papers and studies. However, remember that biases and perspectives matter and influence the outcome. Regardless, we encourage you to explore these topics as thoroughly as you can for your own awareness.
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