In This Issue

Title Story - The Cybercrime That’s Leaving Parents with Empty Bedrooms

On a quiet March night in 2022, 17-year-old Jordan DeMay received a message on Instagram from someone who looked like a teenage girl. She was pretty, friendly, and claimed they shared a mutual friend. Within minutes, they were exchanging intimate photos. Then the tone shifted.

The sender demanded money or the photos would be shared with everyone Jordan knew. Jordan sent $300—his savings for a car. But the extortion didn’t stop. When Jordan told them he felt suicidal, they replied:

“Good. Do that fast, or I’ll make you do it. I swear to God.”

Six hours after that first message, Jordan took his own life.

A Crime Without Malware — But With Devastating Consequences

This isn’t hacking. There’s no malware, no spyware, no breach of firewalls. This is cybercrime driven purely by deception, impersonation, and psychological manipulation. It’s called sextortion, and it’s one of the fastest-growing online threats facing teenagers today.

Cybercriminals pose as attractive peers online—usually on Instagram, Snapchat, or WhatsApp—grooming their targets through fake flirtation. Within minutes, they escalate to intimate exchanges and capture compromising images. Then the blackmail begins.

Victims are told to pay money or face humiliation. They’re threatened with jail time. They’re told their parents will disown them. Some receive hundreds of messages in a matter of hours, each one more pressuring than the last. The speed and cruelty are designed to overwhelm the teen before they have time to think, breathe, or ask for help.

Most tragically, teens believe them. They believe their future is over. And too many believe suicide is the only way out.

“I Don’t Think James Knew He Was a Victim”

James Woods was a high school senior in Ohio who loved anime and comic books and was a star on his track team. He took his senior photo weeks before he was sextorted. When the criminals struck, they told him he would go to jail, that his parents would stop loving him, that he’d never make it to college. They sent over 200 threatening messages in 19 hours. James died by suicide before Thanksgiving.

James wasn’t alone. Since 2021, at least 30 teenage boys have taken their own lives after falling victim to sextortion. Most were between 13 and 17 years old. Many had no prior mental health struggles. But sextortion is uniquely potent because it strikes at the core of adolescent fears—shame, humiliation, and social ruin.

Teen boys, in particular, are vulnerable. They’re impulsive, eager for connection, and often deeply ashamed to talk about sex or mistakes. And the criminals know it.

The Monsters Behind the Screens

These aren’t pranksters. They’re organized cybercrime groups—often in Nigeria, the Philippines, or Ivory Coast—working in teams. One member poses as the girl. Another handles payments. Others research the victim’s contacts or school to make threats more convincing.

In Jordan DeMay’s case, the perpetrators were two Nigerian brothers, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, who operated a large sextortion ring that targeted over 100 victims, including at least 11 minors. They were arrested, extradited to the U.S., and sentenced in 2024 to 17½ years in prison—a landmark step in this fight.

What Parents, Teens, and Communities Must Know

1. Sextortion is a crime, not a moral failure. Teens are victims, not perpetrators.

2. The shame is the weapon. Criminals rely on silence. Talking is the first line of defense.

3. Time is critical. Most teen suicides happen within 24 hours of the first threat.

4. This is preventable. Awareness, open communication, and fast intervention save lives.

A Note of Hope

Jordan’s story ended in tragedy—but justice followed. The arrest and conviction of his tormentors sent a powerful message to other predators: you can be found, and you will be held accountable.

If there’s a message in all of this, it’s this: we can’t afford to stay silent. Sextortion doesn’t just take money. It steals self-worth, silences hope, and in the worst cases, ends lives. But by speaking up, educating each other, and showing our teens that no mistake is ever worth their life—we can fight back.

Let’s make sure no more parents have to grieve in silence. Let’s make sure our teens know: there’s always a way out, and it starts by telling someone.

Cybersecurity Tip of the Week

Deepfakes Are Targeting the Elderly

Scammers are also turning their sights on the elderly—with help from AI.

Using real-time deepfakes, criminals can now appear as someone else live on video. A scammer in his 20s can look like a sweet older woman on Facetime. With AI voice cloning, they can sound exactly like your grandchild, begging for help.

One grandmother sent $9,000 to a scammer who mimicked her grandson’s voice. Others are falling for romance scams, Medicare fraud, or fake ID checks. The tools are easy to access—and disturbingly convincing.

These attacks prey on trust and emotion. And they work fast. Scams like these don’t start with malware. They start with a message that feels real.

Teach your family to question the screen. It might just save them.

How to Spot a Deepfake and Stay Safe

Cybersecurity Breach of the Week

World Password Day & 1.7 Billion Reasons to Rethink Your Login

May 1 marked World Password Day—and we celebrated with news that 1.7 billion stolen passwords are now for sale on the dark web. Courtesy of infostealer malware, cybercriminals have collected a digital skeleton key ring to your accounts. The worst part? If you’re still reusing the same password (yes, even with a “!” at the end), you’re playing right into their hands.

Infostealers don’t hack in. They log in. And thanks to combo lists compiled from stolen credentials, they can automate break-ins at scale—fueling financial fraud, account takeovers, and even corporate espionage.

Quick-hit password security lessons:

Here’s my take: Passwords are the Achilles’ heel of cybersecurity. They’re outdated, overused, and loved by criminals because we rely on them too much. The future must be passwordless. Until then, 2FA and MFA aren’t just nice to have—they’re essential. Trust me: the bad guys already have your password. Don’t let them have the keys to your life.

Tech of the Week: A Solution to Stop Porch Pirates

Porch pirates are getting faster, bolder, and more efficient—costing Americans nearly $300 a year in stolen packages. Video doorbells catch them on camera, but rarely stop them.

Now, an old-school solution is making a comeback with a tech-savvy twist: the smart delivery lockbox. Companies like Hyve, Keter, Yale, and Loxx Boxx are reimagining the classic front-porch package bin, adding Bluetooth locks, app control, and one-way drop trays that keep your deliveries hidden and secure. 

If a thief can’t see the package—and can’t reach in to grab it—they’re more likely to walk away. Most models run under $400, and while they may not look flashy, they’re turning out to be one of the most effective defenses against doorstep theft.

Would you install one of these? Let me know in the comments to this newsletter!

Appearance of the Week

On the stage in San Diego speaking at the VeeamON cybersecurity conference.

Want me to speak at your next event? Book me here!

AI Image of the Week

I’ve been following the AI image trends and here is a big one I never got around to. Until now. The Studio Ghibli (anime image) Trend. This is an image of me and my friend Ryan Phillippe around the release of my book Gray day Created by ChatGPT 4.0. Which image do you like best?

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Eric

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