A Longmont teen downloaded WIZZ, a social media app described as a "safe space where you can let loose and meet new friends from all over the world," according to the Longmont Police Department. The teen was scammed out of $600.
The WIZZ app has been downloaded over 10 million times.
When the Longmont teen set up their account they uploaded a photo of their face. Not long after creating the account, the teen was contacted by someone on the app who had taken the teens photo and superimposed it on a naken individual, according to the police.
The teen was then told to buy $600 in pre-paid gift cards or the suspect would post the superimposed photo on the teen's social media accounts and other areas of the internet, the police state.
The teen purchased the cards and sent the codes to the suspect. The suspect then directed the teen to delete all correspondence and the teen complied.
Later the teen was notified that their social media account had an attempted access from an account in Nigeria.
"If you're a parent, take the time to discuss with your teen(s) the types of information that scammers are looking for and emphasize the need for security, privacy, and caution in sharing data. Teens should not be embarrassed to tell a guardian or a trusted adult if they think they have been scammed," the Longmont Police state. "The FBI has seen a huge increase in the number of cases involving children and teens being threatened and coerced into sending explicit images online—a crime called sextortion."
More information: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-
