First was the blue whale, a challenge that went viral in April 2017. A "game" that consists of overcoming a series of challenges such as cutting the body and that as a final test incites suicide.
Now arrives Momo, a new form of blackmail to adolescents through social networks. It is a form of cyberbullying that hides under the guise of a challenge game. Its objective is to obtain information that can be used against you and pornographic or sexual images.
Who is Momo really?
The image of Momo is the face of a terrifying doll with bulging eyes and a sinister smile. Corresponds to a Japanese sculpture exhibited in Tokyo in 2016 in an exhibition on ghosts and ghosts.
Momo invites those who see her to send a message by WhatsApp or Facebook if they are not afraid of being cursed or appearing at night. Quite a challenge that more than one young man cannot resist out of curiosity. Momo has also gone viral through Minecraft, a construction video game that has a large following.
According to police sources, Momo is linked to three telephone numbers in Japan and two other Latin Americans.
What happens after the first contact?
After having made the first contact with the young man, Momo challenges him to pass a series of tests. Once you have done it, you have to send a video or audio to show that you have completed them. Messages are always sent around three in the morning.
The first tests are mischievous but later They level up until Momo asks to send him photos of a sexual nature. If the young man refuses, the extortion begins. He convinces him that he is being watched and so is his family. Blackmails and threatens you with bringing to light what he has of him. He plays with his fear and with the data that he himself has innocently revealed to him.
What can we parents do?
To find out if your child is following some kind of challenge:
- See if he is especially worried or stressed.
- Monitor if he is active on social networks during the early hours.
- Watch for possible marks on his body and pay attention to his recordings with his mobile.
- Dialogue is essential. Talk about the risks of contacting strangers and sharing information that can later be used against you.
Not following chains of messages or fashionable challenges in the networks avoids falling into threats, scams or extortion.
Tips to avoid cyberbullying
- Keep social networks private.
- Only have family and friends in the contacts.
- Do not solicit requests from strangers.
- Never share your location.