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Online Momo Challenge not a hoax, South Simcoe police say

Parents urged to warn their children about the cyberbullying game that encourages youth to do dangerous tasks, including self-harm after nearby school board incident
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South Simcoe police are keeping an eye out for reports of the online Momo Challenge that encourages youth to do dangerous tasks, including self-harm after a local school board had an incident related to the cyberbullying phenomenon.

Despite widespread claims the Momo Challenge is a hoax, including by BBC News, South Simcoe police are taking it seriously.

“We’re not treating it as a hoax,” said South Simcoe Police Staff Sgt. Steve Wilson.

He said there have been no reports of the Momo Challenge in South Simcoe, but the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board “had an incident somewhere in Simcoe County".

“It wasn’t an incident investigated by South Simcoe (police),” he added. “We do support the school board. It is so important for parents to know what their kids are doing online.”

In light of a recent South Simcoe police and RCMP investigation involving a 12-year-old girl and social media sites that led to child pornography charges last week for a 23-year-old Innisfil man, Wilson said using caution online is even more important nowadays.

“It’s so easy to become a victim now. You don’t know who’s at the other end,” he said. “People don’t talk face-to-face. It’s easier to hide behind their computer. I can assure you not everyone in the cyber world has the best intentions.”

South Simcoe police on Friday morning issued a press release to alert the public to the Momo Challenge and urge parents to warn their children “not to engage” with the game that targets children and youth.

The Momo Challenge involves users getting an invitation on social messaging platforms, including WhatsApp, Snapchat and Fortnite, to message an account called Momo.

“Momo, a scary looking female figure, asks to be contacted through a social media site and then asks the person to perform a series of dangerous tasks including self-harm. If contacted by a Momo account, block the number immediately and do not respond to it,” the release states.

“We advise parents to have conversations with your children and teens about the risks associated with engaging in online challenges. Parents need to stay informed about online risks.”

In a fact sheet sent out by the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board, it notes the Momo Challenge can come on a variety of other apps, games and social media, including Facebook, YouTube, and Minecraft.

“Momo then gives orders, and threatens the receiver if they don't follow them,” the fact sheet read.

The sheet does not mention a specific report of the Momo Challenge occurring, but stated “psychology and school counsellor staff are available to consult with schools regarding any students who experience emotional upset regarding this game".

The school board’s information and communications technology department will also continue to monitor the situation to minimize student exposure while students are at school and using board issued devices.

Students may feel scared, threatened or unsafe, so the school board suggested parents do the following:

  • Be reassuring
  • Encourage your child to talk to you if they have concerns about their safety
  • Use parent-control tools on technology
  • Do not let your child send confidential information over the Internet and teach them not to share information that might identify them
  • Make it clear to children that in the virtual world, not every person is a friend, and that some people may even want to hurt them
  • Teach them that not everything you see online is true and not all the information that can be found on the Internet comes from a reliable or safe place

If anyone gets a Momo Challenge, Wilson said the key thing to do is “ignore it".

“It’s the same as if you get a text message from someone you don’t know. I don’t engage with it. I ignore it, delete it,” he said.