Pennsylvania State Police are warning parents that a scam that's so threatening, that some teens who fell for it have died by suicide.
It's called "sextortion," where a teen gets a message, sometimes even from someone claiming to be a friend, asking them to send an explicit photo.
Then, they'll demand money from the teens--or else.
Trooper Cliff Greenfield says parents should speak often with their kids about safety, use parental controls on their kids’ devices and take the phones away at night.
“Child predators on the internet, they know when children may be most vulnerable, typically at nighttime when mom and dad are in bed,” said Greenfield.
Greenfield adds that the scammer may say they are a child that lives in the neighborhood, but in reality, it’s an adult, sometimes living in another country.