NEW ORLEANS — With more work meetings and school classrooms online, hackers are playing pranks by joining in uninvited, but the FBI says they are seeing an increase of a type of Zoom bombing that can send people to federal prison.
A video from YouTube prankster “Ben of the Week” has 7.7 million views. He's labeled on TikTok as a comedy skit creator. Some may think Zoom bombing, and disrupting children trying to go to school virtually, is funny, but to the FBI, a different type of Zoom hacking is no laughing matter.
“In some of the more extreme circumstances, we are seeing people that are putting child sexual abuse material up as kind of the, you know, the element used to upset the group and shock everybody and shut it down,” said Dan Genck, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the New Orleans Field Office.
Genck says parents may already be aware of sextortion. That's when adults pose as teens online, trying to lure teens to a private meeting place, but on the rise in 2020, is hackers posting child porn in Zoom school, work and social gatherings.
“It's probably somebody that has at least some connection to the school, or to the meeting, or to somebody who's participating in it, because the easiest way for people to get in is for people to know what the link is or know what the password is,” he said.
But it can also be strangers anywhere in the world hacking in, and the pictures and videos can traumatize children.
“We're really concerned about that side of it, is making sure that anybody that was part of that is treated as a victim and gets the proper service and care that they need, while we deal with the criminal side of whoever did it
Gen.ck says parents should encourage children to talk about their feelings on what they saw. He also recommends for parents to make sure schools have a safety prevention plan and strong passwords in the Zoom classrooms. He also suggests they get involved at home.
“Don't be afraid as a parent to get in that program and get on a child's social media, and really understand what the privacy settings are, and how to keep them secure,” Genck added.
And most importantly, tell the FBI about any incident. The agents not only want to find the hackers, but those sexually exploiting children.
You can also call your local police or sheriff’s office and they'll inform the FBI.
You can learn more about reporting at the following links.
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