A chilling 10-word message on social media was one of the last things 16-year-old Evan Boettler saw before he tragically took his own life. The message, “I have your nudes and everything needed to ruin your life,” appeared to come from a young girl, but it was later revealed to be sent by a cyber-scammer.
Evan, from the U.S., was contacted on Snapchat by someone using the name JennyTee60. Within minutes, the scammer had tricked him into sharing explicit images and began blackmailing him. Just 90 minutes after receiving the first message, Evan took his own life in January 2024. His parents, Kari and Brad Boettler, described him as a “bright, funny teenager who loved fishing, sports, and hunting,” and were devastated by his death.
The crime, known as sextortion, is increasingly common online. Scammers persuade victims, often teenagers, to share sexual images or videos, then threaten to release them unless a ransom is paid. In Evan’s case, the criminal even demanded his Facebook login information. Investigators traced the scammer’s IP addresses to multiple locations in Nigeria, linking the crime to a group of fraudsters known as the “Yahoo Boys” in Lagos, who use fake female accounts to target teenagers in the U.S. and Europe.
An insider explained that these scammers often recruit young men in local “scam schools,” teaching them how to target Western victims for fast cash. One of the perpetrators justified the crimes, saying: “I don’t feel bad because I need the money,” and added that Western teenagers’ fear of exposure makes them easy targets.
Evan’s parents hope his story raises awareness about the dangers of online sextortion and the devastating impact it can have on young people.
