7NEWS Spotlight’s bombshell investigation reveals the dark underbelly of social media sextortion and the role Meta and other tech giants play in taking responsibility in these scams.
Rohan Cosgriff, 17, had everything to live for, but within hours of the Victorian teenager sharing an explicit photo on social media with a Nigerian scammer posing as a young, attractive girl, Rohan was blackmailed and pressured into taking his own life.
In a major 7NEWS Spotlight investigation, award-winning investigative journalist Sarah Greenhalgh reveals the dark underbelly of social media.
The Australian Federal Police estimate that as many as 3,000 cases occur in our country every month, with teenage boys left ashamed and scared. What starts as a simple “hello” in a direct online message quickly escalates into a terrifying ordeal involving private photos and ruthless extortion. Like Rohan, some of these cases have tragic consequences.
Determined to expose the criminals, Sarah travels 15,000km to Lagos, Nigeria, coming face-to-face with a sextortionist who explains in chilling detail how he and his colleagues target their victims.
In a heart-wrenching interview, Rohan’s parents share their son’s story publicly for the first time. Recounting the tragic circumstances that led to his death, the Cosgriffs hope to prevent other Australian families experiencing the same tragedy.
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