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Minnesota's Public Safety Commissioner warns of sextortion scams

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The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up warnings about financial sextortion schemes.

LA CRESCENT, Minn. (WXOW) - The U.S. Justice Department is ramping up warnings about financial sextortion schemes.

Computer

DOJ officials say at least 3,000 minors, mostly boys, were victimized by sextortion last year. That is a major increase from previous years.

Authorities say predators use social media to start communicating with minors. Victims are then tricked into providing explicit photos or videos to the perpetrators. The perpetrators then threaten to release the images to family and friends of the victim. 

On Monday, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension discussed how the issue is impacting the state.

"This crime we are seeing committed by criminals exploiting our children are some of the most egregious types of crime we are seeing right now," Superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Drew Evans said. "It creates that ongoing victimization of the victims that are caught up in the web of these blackmailers."

According to the DOJ, at least a dozen victims have committed suicide as a result of these crimes. 

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