[Z]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-23712000

Police in Fife are investigating claims that a 17-year-boy killed himself because he was being blackmailed on the internet.

It is thought Daniel Perry had become involved in a scam where victims are befriended and tricked into making explicit webcam recordings.

These are then used for blackmail.

It has also emerged that the teenager had previously been urged to commit suicide by anonymous users on the social media website ask.fm.

The site has been linked to the deaths of other youngsters.

Hannah Smith, 14, was found hanged at her home in Lutterworth, Leicestershire, on 2 August, and is thought to have killed herself after being bullied on the website.

Her funeral is due to be held in her home town on Friday.

Several messages were sent to Daniel on the site about three months before he took his own life on 15 July.

'Kill yourself'

One of the messages read "kill yourself mate" while another said "you need to let a blade meet your throat".

Other users involved in the conversations at the time condemned the messages and pledged their support to the teenager.

Daniel, an apprentice mechanic from Dunfermline, died after falling from the Forth Road Bridge.

He was described as appearing happy and close to his family but they were unaware that he was being blackmailed.

It appears he had been having online conversations with someone whom he believed to be a girl around his own age.

The day he died the teenager had read a message on his laptop saying images or video would be made public and shared with his friends and family if he didn't pay money into an account.

He was warned that he would be better off dead if he did not transfer the cash.

Less than an hour after replying to the message he had killed himself.

Daniel's mother has said she wants to raise awareness of the dangers of internet blackmail.

Police are urging anyone who is experiencing similar cyber-bullying to report it.

'Report button'

Claire Lilley, senior policy analyst at the NSPCC, told the BBC's Today programme this was the first time she had come across extortion of a young person on the internet.

"We have seen plenty of cases coming through ChildLine where children are experiencing serious cyber-bullying at the hands of their peers and also being groomed by sexual predators," she said.

"But this is the first time we have really seen extortion happening, via the internet, of a young person.

"Children and young people love the internet to learn, explore and connect with people like them all over the world.

"But it's about teaching them that not everyone is who they say they are and teaching them how to respect one another in terms of their behaviour online."

She reiterated calls for a "report button" on social media sites and said more should be done to tell young people where they could go for help.

[LemonJam]

they seriously need to shut that website down.

[Nedusa]

This sounds very sinister.....the teenager in question apparently had visited suicide websites in the past and had recently been on Ask.fm, I wonder if there is any connection. I think the authorities need to expose the website in question and bring all involved to account. This is a criminal activity made worse by its targeting young vulnerable teenagers.....

[Livia]

The Internet is in its infancy and like the Wild West at the moment. Does awareness about this stuff not get taught in schools?

[arista]

17year old in a mess on the intermet
but why take sex type photos
for this trap.

Tragic.

Originally Posted by arista

17year old in a mess on the intermet
but why take sex type photos
for this trap.

Tragic.

17year old in a mess.

You've answered your own question.

[Nedusa]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there is no privacy on the Internet , every piece of information every e-mail, text, letter, photo, video once put onto the Web on Social Networking sites is out there and can be used by Anybody for any reason.

In fact even storing data in so called remote storage sites as offered by GMail eg.. Are susceptible to being stolen or spyed on by Agencies.

Don't do it keep all sensitive info well away from any computer that is linked into the Internet. Use stand alone computers only.. Or better still keep hard copies only ie do not digitalise.

[Josy]

Originally Posted by LemonJam

they seriously need to shut that website down.

This.

And also parents seriously need to start taking more responsibility in this kind of thing IMO, educate themselves about the dangers and risks that could affect their children online and monitor their internet usage more strictly, make sure they know what websites they are visiting, who they are speaking to etc.

[Lee.]

This happened in my town. It's really sad

They teach Internet safety at school about not talking to people and teaching them that people aren't always who they say they are and never to arrange to meet anybody etc [insert hilarious comment here about Locke going back to school] but I think this new blackmailing thing needs to be hammered into the kids too

[Z]

I think that's part of the problem of teaching kids about internet safety though... adults are just as clueless, because we only learn what not to do on the internet once somebody else has made the mistake first and we've read about it in the news. I'm sure most people know that sending nude pictures to a stranger is potentially dangerous; but I doubt many people are paranoid about being blackmailed over them!

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by Lee.

This happened in my town. It's really sad

They teach Internet safety at school about not talking to people and teaching them that people aren't always who they say they are and never to arrange to meet anybody etc [insert hilarious comment here about Locke going back to school] but I think this new blackmailing thing needs to be hammered into the kids too

..we teach it our school as well Lee, we also have E-Safety information sessions for parents so they can talk to their children about it as well, it's staggering how little interest there is from the parents...it would be nice if one good thing could come out of these two tragedies, that parents will start to educate their children more on how to stay safe online....

[arista]

Originally Posted by LemonJam

they seriously need to shut that website down.

No


Parents are Lacking the proper look out on their kids