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A mourning family is cautioning about the concealed risks of online gaming after their 15-year-old son ended his life following several weeks of extortion and emotional distress by an unidentified attacker on a dark web forum.
Christoforos Nicolaou, aged 15, passed away merely 50 days after he started receiving unsettling messages after he clicked
It is advised that parents remain vigilant about whom their children are interacting with or gaming with online, ensuring these are “real individuals” that their children are familiar with.
Additionally, they encourage both parents and children to refrain from clicking on unknown links and to limit social media usage to foster in-person connections.
You can discover more about CCF here and contribute to the charity here.
If you are having feelings of distress, or finding it difficult to cope, you can confidentially reach out to Samaritans at 116 123 (UK and ROI), via email at jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to locate your nearest branch.
If you are in the USA, and you or someone you know requires mental health support immediately, call or text 988, or visit 988lifeline.org for online chat with the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This service is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to all, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
If you are located in another country, you can visit www.befrienders.org to locate a helpline close to you.