In the digital age, people of all ages are constantly exposed to new dangers and scams on the internet. Statistically speaking, one in five children, i.e. 22%, have already experienced cybergrooming. But what exactly is “cybergrooming” and what is behind the increasing use of “romance scamming”?
Cybergrooming and romance scamming
Cybergrooming refers to the targeted approach of adults to teenagers or minors with the intention of establishing sexual contact. The perpetrators often pretend to be peers or friendly adults with similar interests to the victims in order to gain their trust and manipulate them. For example, the perpetrators get unsuspecting adolescents or children to send them revealing pictures or videos of themselves, which they then use as leverage for further acts. However, some of these perpetrators also intend to meet the victim “offline”, i.e. in real life, and abuse them.
Romance scamming refers to pretending to have feelings for the victim. The perpetrators pretend to be someone else and try to convince their victims that they have fallen madly in love after brief contact via social media and would like nothing more than to “finally” meet them in real life. One well-known example is a 26-year-old man from Augsburg who was defrauded of more than €100,000 using this scam.
Perpetrator-victim contact
Unfortunately, the question is not whether and how contact occurs, but how victims can recognize their perpetrators and protect themselves. Almost all adolescents now have several social media accounts and are active on gaming platforms. As a result, the opportunities for perpetrators are just as great as the online presence of our children. Offenders often use the virtual, supposedly safe access and thus get to know their victims superficially.
A good example is the livestreaming app Likee, which has since been removed from the Google Play Store, where “groomers” have persuaded young children to use other chat portals or messenger services. This approach is well thought out, as communication is better protected from the eyes of the law by switching to selected portals.
Perpetrator
Who are these people who pursue such intentions on the internet and what is their motivation for doing so? They are often people who do not necessarily live in the immediate vicinity, but are scattered throughout the country or internationally.
Perpetrators of cybergrooming are often adults who pretend to be peers or confidants on the internet in order to gain the trust of children and young people. They use platforms such as social networks, chat rooms and online games to make contact with potential victims. These perpetrators are usually very adept at gathering personal information and building emotional bonds to ultimately manipulate and abuse their victims. Their motives can vary, but range from sexual abuse to blackmail. It is important to note that cybergrooming is not only used by adults with pedophilic tendencies who want to exercise their lust. Even the police advisory service has published an article in which it clearly points out that young people are also increasingly using cybergrooming and harassing their peers or younger children.
Romance scammers are often well-organized criminals who operate in fraud networks. They pose as charming, loving and trustworthy people on online dating platforms, social networks and other online communities. Their target audience often includes widowed, divorced or otherwise emotionally vulnerable people looking for a romantic relationship.
These scammers invest a lot of time and effort to establish a supposedly genuine relationship. They often use stolen photos and fake identities to deceive their victims. After gaining the trust and affection of their victims, they make up dramatic stories to solicit money. These include emergencies, medical expenses, business investments or travel expenses that supposedly need to be financed urgently. Their aim is to exploit the victim financially, often to the tune of substantial sums of money.
The perpetrators come from different countries, with many cases originating from networks in West Africa, Eastern Europe and South East Asia. These perpetrators are adept at using social and emotional manipulation techniques to isolate and control their victims. Romance scamming is usually carried out to make money quickly or to gain other materialistic or financial benefits from contact with the victims.
Victim
In both cases, the perpetrators specifically exploit the emotional and psychological vulnerabilities of their victims in order to manipulate and exploit them. Isolated or shy people, as well as children with family problems, are particularly likely to seek contact online. In the supposed anonymity, they are often better able to open up and are more sociable than in the real world. However, people without the aforementioned tendencies or character traits are also increasingly becoming victims of these scams, as the perpetrators are very eloquent and try to convince their victims that they have no bad intentions through “open” communication, nice promises and compliments. The following are examples of victim groups that MAY apply.
Cybergrooming:
- Children and young people: The main target group, often between the ages of 10 and 17.
- Tech-savvy young people: Children who spend a lot of time online, be it on social networks, online games or chat rooms.
- Emotionally vulnerable young people: Young people who are looking for attention, recognition or friendship and are easily manipulated.
- Children with little supervision: Children whose online activities are not sufficiently monitored by parents or guardians.
Romance Scamming:
- Emotional vulnerability: People who have recently experienced a separation or loss and are therefore more emotionally vulnerable.
- Divorced or widowed: People who are looking for an emotional connection and may be lonely.
- Older adults: Often the target of scammers as they may be less tech-savvy and financially stable.
- Financially stable: People with a stable income or savings that can be utilized financially.
It is important to promote both education and prevention measures to protect these vulnerable groups.
Consequences
The consequences are very individual. Here is an insight into what consequences CAN occur.
Consequences of cybergrooming
- Psychological and emotional damage: Children and young people can develop trauma, anxiety, depression and confidence issues.
- Social isolation: Those affected may isolate themselves from friends and family, especially if they are afraid to talk about their experiences.
- Educational and professional effects: Traumatic experiences can affect school performance and later career opportunities.
- Health consequences: Stress and mental strain can lead to physical symptoms such as sleep disorders, loss of appetite and other health problems.
- Long-term effects: The psychological scars can affect long-term self-esteem and the ability to build healthy relationships.
The impact on victims of cybergrooming covers a broad spectrum of harm. The psychological impact on such a young child is devastating.
It is precisely because of the psychological or even physical violence they experience or have experienced that victims of these two methods distance themselves from those around them or hide their experiences from them. They isolate themselves through their depression and this can even lead to suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts.
Consequences of romance scamming
- Financial loss: Victims often lose considerable sums of money, sometimes their entire savings or retirement savings.
- Emotional and psychological stress: those affected suffer from shame, feelings of guilt, grief and loss of trust.
- Social isolation: The shame and loss of trust can lead to victims withdrawing from friends and family.
- Legal consequences: In some cases, victims could inadvertently become involved in criminal activity, e.g. through money laundering.
- Health effects: Stress and emotional distress can cause physical health problems, such as sleep disorders, depression and anxiety.
The effects for victims of romance scamming can overlap, but these people suffer more from a loss of reality after the “relationship” with their perpetrator. They lose touch with what happened and mourn the break-up of the “relationship” more than the actual financial loss. However, a case in Essen draws attention to just how important it is to help people after such a tragedy, in which they lose a large part or all of their savings. One father never heard from his “partner” again after transferring a high five-figure sum to her. Ashamed of having fallen for the scam, he killed his 19-year-old daughter and shortly afterwards jumped in front of a train.
In both cases, it is crucial that victims receive support and counseling to help them cope with the emotional and psychological damage and take steps to restore their financial and social stability. Prevention and education are also key to protecting future victims.
PROTECTION
Through these measures, both individuals and families CAN be better protected from the dangers of the Internet.
General protective measures
- Use strong passwords: Use complex passwords and change them regularly.
- Update software and devices: Make sure that all devices and software are up to date to avoid security gaps.
- Install security software: Use antivirus software and firewalls to protect your devices from malware and other threats.
- Be skeptical of unexpected messages: Do not open any links or attachments from unknown senders and question unusual requests from known contacts.
- Recognize and avoid phishing: Be wary of emails or messages that ask for personal information or ask you to click on suspicious links.
Protection against cybergrooming
- Parental supervision and communication: Parents should monitor their children’s online activities and talk openly about the dangers of the internet.
- Security settings and privacy: Use the security settings in social networks and online games to protect your children’s privacy.
- Training and education: Schools should offer programs to educate students about cybersecurity and online threats.
- Encourage safe behavior: Teach children not to give out personal information online and to only communicate with people they know in real life.
- Report suspicious activity: Encourage your children to report suspicious or unpleasant online contacts immediately, both to you and to the platform operators.
- Education and awareness: Inform yourself and others about the methods used by fraudsters and spread this knowledge.
How do parents protect their children from cybergrooming?
There are now numerous ways of restricting the App Store / Google Play Store for young people and children. This means that they can only download apps to their cell phone or tablet after a parent has approved them. Among other things, younger children can also install an app to track activities on the Internet.
Info addresses:
https://www.stiftung-medienpaedagogik-bayern.de/Materialien/Broschueren/146_Games_sicher_nutzen.htm
https://www.medien-kindersicher.de/startseite
Protection against romance scamming
- Be careful with online acquaintances: Be suspicious of people who try to get too close too quickly or ask for financial help.
- Check the identity: Use reverse image searches to find out whether the person’s images are also being used on other profiles.
- Protect personal information: Do not share sensitive data such as financial information or personal details with strangers.
- Use secure payment methods: Never send money to someone you only know online. Use secure payment methods and be careful with unusual payment methods.
- Education and awareness: Inform yourself and others about the methods used by fraudsters and spread this knowledge.
How does society protect itself from rummy scamming?
You should always act with caution and always be skeptical of people you have only met online. Incidents of this kind reveal clear themes that the perpetrators use to convince those affected to send them money.
HELP
In such cases, the quickest route to the police should always be sought. Victims also have the opportunity to seek psychological help after their traumatic experiences. By taking advantage of this help, victims can take the necessary steps to improve their situation and receive long-term support.
General support
- Psychological counseling: Professional therapists and psychologists can help victims cope with the emotional and psychological consequences.
- Self-help groups: Sharing experiences with other sufferers can help them to process their own experiences and feel less alone.
- Family and friends: Support and understanding from your social environment can be crucial in getting through this difficult time.
- Online communities: There are various forums and online communities where those affected can exchange information and support each other.
Cybergrooming
- Police: Report any suspicion of cybergrooming to the police immediately. Many countries have special units that deal with cybercrime against children.
- Youth protection organizations: Organizations such as the “Deutsches Kinderhilfswerk” or “Innocence in Danger” offer help and support for affected children and their families.
- School psychologists and counseling centers: Schools and counseling centers can offer psychological support to children and adolescents.
- Hotlines and emergency numbers: There are special hotlines for children and young people, such as the “Nummer gegen Kummer” in Germany, where they can seek help anonymously.
- Online platforms: Websites such as “Saferinternet” or “Klicksafe” offer information and advice on safe use of the internet and support in the event of incidents.
Romance scamming
- Police: File a complaint with the local police to report the fraud and get support.
- Consumer protection organizations: Many countries have organizations that offer special help and advice for victims of fraud, such as the consumer advice center in Germany.
- Counseling centers: There are specialized counseling centers that offer support and psychological help for victims of fraud.
- Online reporting platforms: Platforms such as the “Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3)” in the USA or “Action Fraud” in the UK offer opportunities to report Internet fraud.
- Lawyers: In some cases, it may be helpful to seek legal advice to investigate possible civil claims.
Info addresses:
https://www.klicksafe.de/materialien/wehr-dich-gegen-sexualisierte-gewalt-im-netz-warnsignale-im-chat
