Online Dangers for Children: A Father’s Perspective

Ben Gillenwater, an IT expert with three decades of experience, is the voice behind the Family IT Guy social media accounts. Through these platforms, he shares advice with parents on safeguarding their children from online threats, including harmful content, predators, and addictive technology.

At the core, though, Ben is a father. His journey began five years ago when he gifted his young son an iPad, which led to unsettling discoveries that pushed him into the role of a full-time content creator focusing on child safety in the digital space.

In an episode of “Relatable,” hosted by Allie Beth Stuckey, Ben discusses various online hazards children encounter today. Some of these issues challenge our understanding of predators and their methods.

Many people’s perceptions of online groomers are often skewed—pictures of ominous figures hiding away in basements come to mind. But, as Ben points out, some groomers don’t aim for physical contact. Their primary goal may simply be to wreak havoc for profit by ruining lives from a distance.

Ben highlights the tragic case of Jordan DeMay, a 17-year-old high school student from Michigan who died by suicide in 2022 after becoming a victim of a sextortion scheme. Jordan had a seemingly perfect life—good grades, a loving family, and a girlfriend. However, everything changed when he received a message from an attractive girl on social media. What started as flirtation escalated when she sent him nude images, prompting him to reciprocate. Only later did he learn that her persona was either fake or stolen, and behind it, two Nigerian criminals, Samuel and Samson Ogosi, threatened to expose him unless he paid them money.

The entire ordeal unfolded rapidly—just six hours from first contact to Jordan’s tragic end.

According to Gillenwater, these individuals are linked to a larger network of Nigerian cybercriminals known as the “Yahoo Boys,” notorious for scams that tricked countless victims with tales of enormous inheritances in exchange for upfront fees that ultimately left them empty-handed.

Whether adopting the guise of wealthy heirs or attractive figures on social platforms, their tactic remains consistent: exploiting people’s vulnerabilities, Gillenwater explains.

In earlier decades, scammers relied on “poorly written emails” to deceive individuals, but as technology has advanced, so too have their methods. Now, their operations frequently leverage sophisticated AI-driven programs.

“Teenage boys, in particular, are prime targets,” he notes. They exploit biological impulses, using Instagram to identify friends and connect with social networks to enhance their schemes. This way, they can intimidate victims by threatening to share compromising images with friends and family.

Sadly, these scams are not exclusive to Nigeria. Gillenwater remarks that gangs across South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe are also involved. It’s a low-effort, highly profitable method for perpetrators, sometimes even automated.

Yet, cyber threats aren’t isolated. In the latter part of the discussion, Ben shares some troubling statistics about “traditional predators” who specifically target vulnerable children for sexual exploitation.

If you want to delve deeper into this topic and discover how to protect your children online, consider watching the full episode.