Sextortion Scam Leads to Teen’s Suicide—400K Victims Affected, Arrests Coming Soon

A heartbreaking case of sextortion has left one Michigan family mourning the loss of their 17-year-old son, Jordan DeMay, who took his own life in 2022 after being manipulated by a sextortion scheme. The incident has now led to five Americans pleading guilty to money laundering in connection with a Nigerian-operated sextortion ring that has affected hundreds of victims across the U.S.

The Nigerian brothers, Samuel and Samson Ogoshi, used a hacked Instagram account to pose as a woman and engage with DeMay. They coerced him into sending explicit photos and then demanded money under the threat of releasing those images publicly. This is a growing trend of sextortion, where scammers target minors online, often via social media, and extort money in exchange for not releasing explicit content.

The brothers Ogoshi were arrested and extradited to the United States in 2024, where they were sentenced to 17 years in prison for their roles in the scheme. However, the impact of the scheme reaches far beyond DeMay’s tragic death. The scam targeted more than 100 victims, and federal authorities are working to address the widespread issue of sextortion, particularly among minors.

A significant part of the scam involved American accomplices who laundered the money obtained from victims. These individuals, including those from Georgia and Alabama, used online payment systems like Apple Pay, Cash App, and Zelle to collect proceeds from the scam and send them to the Ogoshi brothers. The money was converted into bitcoin, making it harder to trace. This operation underscores the complexity of online financial scams and how easily young people can become victims of exploitation.

John DeMay, Jordan’s father, has become an advocate for preventing sextortion and raising awareness about the issue. He’s traveling the country to educate people about how to protect children from falling victim to these types of scams. “Unfortunately, there are still a lot of sextortion cases across the country,” John said.

Sextortion is an increasingly prevalent form of online crime where perpetrators use coercion and manipulation to extort money or explicit content from victims, typically minors. The FBI reported a 20% increase in sextortion incidents between October 2022 and March 2023, with many victims being boys aged 14 to 17.

The consequences of these crimes are devastating, with several suicides and incidents of self-harm linked to sextortion. The FBI has noted that between October 2021 and March 2023, there were at least 20 suicides linked to sextortion. With the ongoing investigation and the conviction of the Nigerian scammers, authorities hope to prevent future tragedies and bring justice to victims.