A tragic incident unfolded when 16-year-old Evan Boettler encountered a distressing 10-word message on social media before taking his own life. The message, claiming possession of sensitive information to ruin his life, was initially believed to be from a girl named JennyTee60 on Snapchat but later revealed to be sent by a cyber-scammer.
Evan’s parents, Kari and Brad Boettler, shared with BBC the heartbreaking story of how their son fell victim to a scam where he was coerced into sharing explicit images under false pretenses. Within a short span of 90 minutes after the initial contact, Evan from the US tragically ended his life in January 2024, leaving his family devastated and perplexed by the sudden turn of events.
Described as a vibrant and outdoorsy teenager who enjoyed fishing, sports, and hunting, Evan’s life was cut short due to a prevalent online crime known as sextortion, where victims, often youths, are manipulated into sharing compromising photos or videos under the threat of exposure unless they pay a ransom.
During the scam targeting Evan, the perpetrator demanded access to his Facebook account, leaving behind an IP address traceable to multiple locations in Nigeria. Investigations uncovered a group of scammers labeled as the “Yahoo Boys” in Lagos, consisting of young men seeking quick earnings by preying on unsuspecting individuals online.
An informant revealed that these sextortion scammers create fake female profiles to target teenagers primarily in the US and Europe, exploiting their sense of privilege and fear of social repercussions to extort money. Rationalizing their actions by citing the high sex drive of young individuals and their dread of image leaks, the criminals show little remorse, driven solely by financial gain.
For individuals in need of support, the Samaritans offer a 24-hour helpline at 116 123, email assistance at jo@samaritans.org, in-person visits to branches, or access to their website for emotional aid.