On the Radar

Some online ‘friends’ are recruiting teens — here’s the tell

Posted

Exploitation

Europol says 4,340 URLs tied to violent online networks were flagged for removal. The playbook’s always the same — they act like a mate, get you onside, then use secrets, flattery and threats to push you into doing harmful things and keep you quiet.

The move The pressure to keep a secret or ‘prove yourself’ is the red flag — not whether the person seems sound. Don’t go along with it and don’t deal with it alone: block, screenshot, and tell a trusted adult straight away (or report it to CEOP).