'Sextortion' teen victim from B.C. pondered suicide

What began as a way to meet women onlinenearly ended in tragedy for a young Metro Vancouver man last month who says he became a "slave" to ascam that's come to be known as "sextortion.".

Sam not his real name considered taking his own lifeafter scammersthreatened to post a video of him having a sexual encounter with a woman online if he didn't pay them cash.

He comes from a religious family in an ethnic community.

"My biggest fear was if this video got out, [I'd be]ruined. Not just my life, my family's life. I come from a family where this kind of thing is just a big no-no," he says.

"Suicide went through my head."

Online encounter escalates

It all started one night in March whenSam was in his parents' home,usingthe internet on his iPad.

"I was in my room. I was very curious. I was bored. I was on Google and I came across this website."

When Sam clicked on BeNaughty.com, he quickly spotted the profile of an attractive, blondwoman in her mid-20s who claimed to live in New York. After some initial online chat, she lured him off the site, suggesting a direct Skype video call wherethey could see each other.

Death would have been better than what I was going through.- Sam, 'sextortion' victim

"We started Skyping," he says, "and she started exposing herself right away on webcam."

Samsays the woman tried to get him to do the same.

"I was very reluctant. And eventually she had enough and she said, 'You know what? If you're not willing to do it, I'm going to please another guy.' And that's what got me. So I did what she wanted."

'Sextortion'begins

Sam says what hedidn't knowwas that the video from his webcam was being recorded. There was a briefpause in their Skype call,andthen hesuddenly saw his actions played back to him on his iPad screen.

That's when he realized he was about to be a victim of "sextortion."

"I was watching myself. And she demanded money from me. She said, 'If you don't give me what I want, then I'm going to send this video throughout all social media in the area thatyou're from.'"

"I was in absolute shock, just a state of overwhelming fear and anger ...I was so angry with myself."

As the humiliation set in, so did the panic.

"At that point, death would have been better than what I was going through. I swear to God,I wished I was dead."

Payment monitored

The scammer demanded $600 and instructed Sam to goto the nearest MoneyMart and transfer the cashto someone inthe Philippines. She told Sam totake his iPadalong andSkypethe images, so shecouldsee the clerk and watchthe transaction unfold.

Don't give into their demands, because thesescammers, they feed off the power. Once they know they can control you, that's it. You're done.- ScamSurvivors.com

"She could see everything I was doing," said Sam. "She was listening the entire time.I was a slave for this person."

The 19-year-old emptied his smallbank account, but the scammerkept messaging him and saidshe waswaiting forhis next paycheque.

"She had the hook in," he said. "I would reply instantly with the fear she would post [the video]."

Skyrocketing problem

Sam isn't the only person who's been fooled online.

Last month, around the same time Sam was being scammed,Richmond RCMPissued a public warning over the rising number of so-calledsextortioncases locally.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, based in North Bay, Ont., says the problem is growing.

"It's gone from once or twice a monthto dozens a month" said spokesmanDaniel Williams. "We get one to five per cent of what we think is out there.I imagine there are a lot of victims out there who've paid big money that will never come to light."

One of Canada's most high-profile victim ofsextortionwas15-year-old Amanda Todd of Port Coquitlam, B.C., who took her own life after anonline tormentor posted images of her exposing her breasts.

Sam said he now understands.

"It's honestly opened my eyes in a big [way]."

Fighting back

Sam said thatin desperation, he found the websiteScamSurvivors.comonlineand followed its advice, such as cancelling his credit cards and deleting his social media accounts.His sextortiontormentors appear to have lost interest in him, he said.

Sam,and the experts, sharethe same advice.

"Be very cautious online," ScamSurvivors.com warns. "There are a lot of evil people in this world.

"Don't give into their demands, because these scammers, they feed off the power. Once they know they can control you, that's it. You're done."