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This article deals with the subject of suicide and may be distressing for some people.
About three years after a Christchurch teen took his own life after he was blackmailed, another NZ man fooled by an online "sextortion" scam has suffered a similar fate.
The distressed man sent the blackmailers money and took his own life later that day.
The 41-year-old's suicide in 2024 has prompted a coroner to issue a warning and advice about what to do if caught in such a scam.
It also comes after a Christchurch 18-year-old took his own life just hours after he was sexually extorted in 2023 under very similar circumstances. Despite the teen’s reluctance, he exchanged intimate images with a woman on Facebook who he thought was from Timaru.
But after doing so, she demanded he pay $5000 or she would share the images with his contacts. In reality, she didn't exist, and the account was traced back to West Africa.
The Auckland man died in 2024 within hours of making contact with someone online who identified themselves as "Donna Chase".
He also exchanged messages and images of a sexual nature with "Donna", and she immediately began blackmailing him.
Police do not believe Donna Chase existed, but that she was an AI-generated persona used to trick the man into sharing sexually explicit images.
Police told Coroner Janet Anderson they believed the bank account the man paid money into was associated with an organised criminal network based overseas.
"I have no doubt that the actions of 'Donna' were the primary relevant factor in [his] death," Coroner Anderson said.
"She deliberately solicited images of a sexual nature ... and then used these to blackmail him. This is a practice known as 'sextortion'."
The man died "within hours" of his first communication with Donna, the coroner said.
In a published summary, Coroner Anderson said the man was under stress when he died.
A relative had died six months earlier, he was struggling with a relationship break-up, was on medical leave from work and had financial issues.
The man had told a relative he was finding it hard to get out of bed and had occasionally made references to being "better off dead".
However, he had no significant history of mental health problems and no record of self-harm.
He had been due to return to work on the day he died.
That morning he sent "farewell messages" to his family, who went to check on him and found him dead.
The man's wife later gained access to the Signal secure messaging account that had been installed on his phone.
She found images and messages shared with "Donna Chase".
After the images were sent, "Donna" immediately threatened to send them to the man's contacts and demanded money, via bank account transfer and codes for pre-paid Steam gift cards.
The summary said the man handed money over, but did not specify how much.
The exchanges with Donna, which included voice calls, ended with a final message from the man at 10.09am on the day he died.
The coroner said it was reasonable to conclude the man was in a highly emotional and vulnerable state when he ended his life.
"His actions would have been impulsive and taken in direct response to the difficult and stressful situation he found himself in."
Man's suicide a second 'sextortion' case
The man's suicide was the second involving a sextortion attempt before the Coroner’s Court this year.
The 18-year-old Christchurch man who had dreams of becoming a policeman took his own life just hours after he was sexually extorted online in 2023.
The teenager met a person on Facebook. She called herself Laura Wilson and wanted to exchange intimate images.
He had no way of knowing he was talking to a scammer in West Africa who then threatened to share the teen's videos with all his contacts if he didn't pay $5000.
The online safety organisation Netsafe advised Coroner Anderson that sextortion is a serious global issue and the scammers are highly organised professional criminals who can be based anywhere.
She said the man's tragic death showed "the harm inflicted by those who engage in sextortion activities goes beyond extreme emotional distress and financial loss".
"In this case, it led to the senseless loss of a father, partner and friend."
Police advice for people caught in a sextortion scam is to pay nothing, to shut down all social media and contact Netsafe for further advice.
Netsafe has also published a step-by-step guide on how to deal with sextortion on its website.
Netsafe's advice for people subject to sextortion
Don't give in to demands
The most important thing is not to give in to the blackmailer's demands or share more pictures or videos. If you do, they are more likely to continue asking for more money or content. If you have already given them money - do not give them more. Even if you have given money, the remaining steps can still help.
Get evidence
If possible, take screenshots of the threats, but don't take pictures of the private images or videos. Note down the blackmailer's account name and where this is happening online.
Let others know
It might be helpful to write a message for your friends and family, letting them know that someone is trying to scam you (you don't have to go into detail about what has happened) and ask them not to accept message requests from unknown accounts online.
Report to the platform
Report to the social media platform (e.g. Instagram, Snapchat, PornHub) where the scammer contacted you. Give them all the information you can. If your content is shared we also recommend you report to that platform.
Cut off contact
Stop talking to the blackmailer and block them on all platforms.
The scammer will focus on the people they believe will most likely pay them or send more content. The scammer will 'drop' others very quickly who block the scammer and refuse to contact them, so it is very important that all contact from them is blocked immediately.
Secure social media accounts
Ensure all your social media accounts are as private as possible or deactivate them temporarily.
Keep an eye out
Ask someone you trust to help by keeping an eye on social media activity for you. This can help keep you informed and give you a break from social media if you need it.
Get the content hashed for removal
If you are under 18, and if you have copies of the private images or videos the blackmailer is threatening you with, you can use a free tool called Take It Down.
Take It Down creates a special code or digital fingerprint from the pictures or videos, and it shares that code with online platforms that may help to find and remove them from being shared online. The tool can also be used for synthetic images (deep fakes), which deals with it in the same way as genuine content.
If you are 18 or older you can use StopNCII.
StopNCII will generate a digital fingerprint, called a hash, of the images/videos on your device. STOPNCII shares the hash with Industry Partners so they can try to help detect and remove the images/videos from being shared online. StopNCII.org also accepts synthetic images (deep fakes) and deals with them in the same way as genuine content.
Where to get help:
- Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
- Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
- Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
- Samaritans: 0800 726 666
- Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
- What's Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds
- Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and English.
- Victim Support 0800 842 846.
- Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
- Healthline: 0800 611 116
- Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
- OUTLine: 0800 688 5463
- Aoake te Rā bereaved by suicide service: or call 0800 000 053
If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111
