The Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office issued a warning about the dangers of sextortion, an online threat that targets children through coercion or blackmail. In a social media post, the office provided detailed guidelines for parents on how to help safeguard their children in the digital space.
Guidance includes monitoring device usage and establishing rules designed to limit interactions with strangers online. Emphasis is placed on maintaining open communication between parents and children. Additional recommendations involve using strong, regularly updated passwords, keeping software up to date, and applying standard security measures to prevent unauthorized digital access.
The post points parents to the Cyper Safety section within their app, just one tap away under the "More" tab on the home screen, where they can find additional tips and resources. Furthermore, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children is mentioned as having a CyberTipline, which provides a direct avenue for reporting these online abuses, according to the Cabarrus County Sheriff's Office.
To support awareness and prevention of sextortion, the office encourages individuals to review the FBI’s resources on common internet scams, including those related to sextortion. These materials are intended to provide information and tools to help protect vulnerable youth from online threats.
