MillionKids.org

Million Kids
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The global authority on news, trends, technology and the impact on human exploitation and trafficking.

  1. FEB 17

    The "Friend of a Friend" Trick Used by Predators

    Five very dangerous words being used by predators to trap kids online. And most kids would say: “It won’t happen to me.”  Almost every teen will tell you they can “spot a predator.” They’re confident they’ll recognize danger, avoid blackmail, and outsmart anyone tryingto sextort them. And most of them use the same outdated test: “Do I know this person? Do they know me? Do they know someone I know?” That used to work. It doesn’t anymore. Listen to the Protect & Prevent Podcast hosted by Opal Singleton Hendershot of MillionKids.org, a leading voice in child protection and digital safety, as she explains why this doesn't work any longer and what you can do. Global criminal networks figured out very fast how American teens decide who to trust.And they’ve weaponized it. Today’s predators don’t show up as strangers. They show up as “a friend of a friend.” They show up knowing your teen’s followers, hobbies, school, sports, and family… because all of it is online. This is the conversation every parent, grandparent, educator, and youth leader needs to have with the young people they love. How do you decide who is trustworthy? What criteria are you using? Do you understand that you’re standing on the front line of a global digital battlefield without even knowing it? This episode dives into the reality most families have never been told: the entire world came online with high‑speed 5G, criminals and cartels, predators, cyber scam farms can now appear as someone your child thinks they know, they can pull your teen’s follower list, mimic their friends, and buildinstant credibility, and they can gather everything about your family from public data, AI tools, Zillow, social media, and more. And then there’s financial sextortion, it’s the threat most teens have never heard of, and many parents don’t know exists. More than 40 bright, successful young peoplehave lost their lives because they were targeted, manipulated, and blackmailed by criminals who pretended to be “a friend of a friend.” Every single one of them thought they were safe. Every one of them was wrong. We cannot let another family learn about this after it’s too late. This podcast episode breaks down exactly how these schemes work, why teens fall for them, and how to protect the young people in your life. It’s eye‑opening, practical, and absolutely essential. If you want a deeper guide, my book Digital Warfare: Our Kids on the Front Line gives parents a clear roadmap for talking to teens about how online exploitation haschanged. It’s available on Amazon (paperback/Kindle) and at MillionKids.org (audio/PDF). The most dangerous words a young person can hear today are: "I’m a friend of a friend.” Let’s make sure you, and they, know why.

    30 min

  2. FEB 9

    Protect & Prevent - Do you know these terms and why they matter to your child's online safety?

    Most parents have never heard of many of them but predators, cartels, and global scam networks use them every single day to target kids. If you don’t know what they mean, your child is already at adisadvantage. FINANCIAL SEXTORTION: The fastest‑growingonline crime against minors — run by globalcriminal groups who can empty a family’s bank accountand destroy a child’s mental health in hours. FRIEND‑OF‑A‑FRIENDSEDUCTION STRATEGY: Predators no longer approach kids as strangers. Theyinfiltrate friend groups, mimic classmates, and build trust through socialcircles kids already believe are safe. APP‑TRANSFER TRAPS: A predatorstarts on Instagram or Snapchat… then moves a child to a dating app, encryptedchat, or payment platform where parents can’t see a thing. NUDES ONLINE — IT’S A TRAP: Teens think sending aphoto is private. Criminals know it’s leverage. One image can become blackmail,extortion, or lifelong exploitation. SCAM FARMS & NUDIFY SITES: Industrial‑scaleoperations overseas use AI to strip clothes off photos, generate fake nudes,and mass‑produce extortion content targeting kids. OPEN AI IN GAMING & CHARACTER AI: Predators nowuse AI‑poweredavatars and NPCs to groom kids inside games — blendingfantasy, flattery, and manipulation in ways adults never see. GEOLOCATION SOFTWARE: One tap can reveal a child’sschool, home, daily route, or real‑time location. Kids don’t understand the danger. Criminals do. E2EE (END‑TO‑ENDENCRYPTION): A safety tool for adults but a hiding place for predators.Once a child is moved into an encrypted chat, parents and platforms losevisibility. 764: A global criminal network responsible for large‑scalesextortion of minors that is expanding faster than law enforcement can keep up.Also includes a number of subgroups. F2P GAMES & FREEMIUMS: “Free” games that aren’tfree at all — designed to keep kids online longer, expose them to strangers,and normalize in‑game purchases and private chats. If these terms are new to you, that’s exactly why thispodcast matters. Kids are navigating a digital battlefield with enemies theycan’t see and tactics they don’t understand. Parents can’t protect theirchildren from threats they don’t know exist. Being educated as a parent isfoundational, and then talking to your kids is the next step. It’s not about fear. It’s about giving your kids the toolsto protect themselves and recognize the dangers. It’s about giving families thetruth, the tools, and the language they need to protect those they love in aworld that has changed faster than anyone expected. Purchase the Kindle or paperback versions of the book DigitalWarfare: Our Kids on the Frontline on Amazon (search for Opal Singleton) orat https://MillionKids.org for the PDFand audio versions of the book. This is a must have for anyone wanting to know more and what to do.

    24 min

  3. FEB 2

    Protect & Prevent - Why It is Called "Digital Warfare"

    Most people have heard the word “sextortion.” Almost no one understands how radically, and dangerously,it has evolved. Parents are still relying on advice from five, ten, evenfifteen years ago… while predators have upgraded to AI‑driventactics, global money‑transfer systems, geolocationtools, and industrial‑scale scam farms. The gap betweenwhat families think keeps kids safe and what’sactually happening online has never been wider. Every single day, approximately 60,000 reports ofpotential child exploitation land at NCMEC. And roughly 84% of those casestrace back to criminals outside the United States. Many are criminals who willnever face our laws, our courts, or our consequences. Meanwhile, the numbers at home tell their own story: 1out of 6 boys and 1 out of 7 girls have already sent a nude. But of course, we tell ourselves: “not my kid.” My book Digital Warfare: Our Kids on the Frontlineexposes the truth most adults don’t want to face: that millions of criminalsaround the world now have direct, unfiltered access to our children. They cangroom them, recruit them, manipulate them, and extort them and do it all from aphone in their pocket. Kids believe it won’t happen to them. Parents pray it won’t. But hope is not a strategy. We would never send our children into a physical warzonewithout training, protection, or a clear understanding of the enemy. Yet everyday, we send them into a global digital battlefield of 5.5 billion peopleonline, including cartels, organized crime groups, and AI‑poweredpredators without every talking to our kids andnaming the threats. This podcast pulls back the curtain. It’s not about fear. It’s about clarity. It’s about giving families the truth, the tools, and thelanguage they need to protect the kids they love in a world that has changedfaster than anyone expected. Purchase the Kindle or paperback versions of the book onAmazon (search for Opal Singleton) or at https://MillionKids.orgfor the PDF and audio versions of the book.

    30 min

  4. JAN 20

    Protect & Prevent - Part 2 Healthy children and recognizing dangerous online behaviors

    The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised. Countless kids regularly unwrap their very first phone, tablet, or gaming device and in an instant, they step into a digital world most parents never had to navigate at their age.For many families, this is the first time their child has ever been online. And that moment comes with real risks that most adults don’t see coming.In this podcast, we break down what every parent needs to know before handing a device to a prepubescent child or first‑time user. One of the most misunderstood dangers is something called “Open AI Sourcing.” Parents often assume platforms like Roblox are safe simply because they’re marketed to kids. But here’s the truth: only about 15% of the games on these platforms are built by the company itself. The rest come from outside developers, by people you’ve never met, with motives you can’t verify.Just because you’ve played one safe game with your child doesn’t mean the next one from the same company is safe.Every game, every chat, every “character” interaction needs an adult’s eyes on it.And when kids talk to bots or AI‑driven characters, they need to understand what that really means. It’s not a friend. It’s not a peer. It’s a programmed system and anything they say can be collected, stored, sold, and shared. Parents should vet every character or bot their child interacts with, making sure it aligns with the family’s values and online reputation.We also talk about the behavioral red flags that signal a child is uncomfortable or in over their head online:stress, secrecy, anxiety, hiding devices, borrowing phones, or suddenly needing money.These are moments when your calm presence matters most. Your child needs to know you believe them, you’re on their side, and nothing they tell you will make you love them less.Digital trust isn’t built in a crisis but it’s built in everyday conversations.Ideally, these talks happen before a child goes online, but it’s never too late to start.If you want to understand what’s really happening behind the screen, and how to protect your child in a world that’s changing faster than any generation before them, this is a podcast you won’t want to miss.

    31 min

  5. JAN 13

    Protect & Prevent - Creating healthy relationships with your child while recognizing online dangers

    The podcast content may contain sensitive topics. Listenerdiscretion is advised. This holiday season, millions of kids unwrapped their veryfirst phone, tablet, or online device. And with that gift came something far bigger than mostparents realize: instant access to a world of 5.5 billion people  including strangers, scammers, cartels, andcriminal networks who know exactly how to disguise themselves as the “cuteclassmate” or “new friend” your child thinks they can trust. Today’s digital world isn’t the one we grew up in. Artificial intelligence, global money-transfer apps,geolocation tools, and deepfake technology have created a landscape where achild can be manipulated, pressured, or exploited long before they even knowthey’re in danger. And the hardest part? Most kids won’t tell a parent whensomething feels wrong. They’re terrified of being embarrassed… or losing theirphone. So how do we build trust? How do we teach our kids tonavigate this global digital world with confidence, values, and real-worldsafety skills? That’s exactly what we’re diving into on this episode. Pleasejoin us to explore how to teach your child values for online relationships and how to recognize when they might be in danger.

    32 min

  6. 12/22/2025

    Protect & Prevent - If you could have a conversation to save a teen's life, would you do it?

    The podcast contains sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised. In just the past few years, more than 40 young people, mostly boys ages 13–17, have taken their own lives after becoming victims of financial sextortion. They were not reckless kids. They were victims.Many were some of the most promising young people in America: smart, faith-based, goal-driven teens. Many had already chosen a college. Some were award-winning athletes, academic standouts, or community leaders.And in case after case, their grieving families said the same thing:“We had never even heard of financial sextortion.”That must change IMMEDIATELY.We can never again lose young lives because society doesn’t want to hear uncomfortable truths. We can never again assume, “My child would never fall for that.” Most teens believe they are too smart to be fooled but tens of thousands of them are wrong.The crime of sextortion has changed and almost no one recognizes it.For more than 15 years, Million Kids has worked on the front lines educating parents, teens, grandparents, educators, law enforcement, and mental health professionals. Yet our hearts break every time another case appears as another family is devastated, another future lost because critical information never reached them in time.Here’s the reality:Every teen we talk to believes they’ll recognize catfishing. They won’t.Most parents, and even pastors, believe their kids would never send a nude.One in six teens already has.Knowledge is power. And in this case, knowledge saves lives.We are urgently asking you to listen and then share this podcast and our videos with everyone you know. Parents. Teens. Coaches. Youth leaders. Educators. Churches. Schools.Please don’t wait until it’s personal.Listen now. Share immediately. A life may depend on it.

    23 min

  7. 12/09/2025

    Protect & Prevent - Project Never Again: Defeat Sextortion with Education

    (The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.) What if the bad news you don’twant to hear is the very thing that could save a young person’s life?Would you listen, really listen, during the time it takes to learn? What if one fact… one warning… one moment of awareness could be the reason your child, grandchild, student, or teen in your life survives a predator’s trap?Would you stop everything and pay attention? Recently, our team at Million Kids learned of the devastating loss of 15-year-old Bryce Tate from Cross Lanes, WV. During the investigation, law enforcement uncovered the truth: Brycehad become a victim of financial sextortion. This must never happen again.Not to another family. Not to another community. Not to another child. And yet it will… unless we talk about it and people choose to hear what’s uncomfortable, painful, and urgent. Most adults don’t want to hear about financialsextortion. It feels dark. Negative. Scary.But we ask you one thing: If listening to one podcast could save a child’s life… isn’t it worth it? In this episode, Opal Singleton, author of Digital Warfare (release pending), breaks down how financialsextortion actually works in today’s digital world.Not the version people think they know, but the new, explosive, high-speed version almost no one is prepared for. The rules changed. The predators changed. The technology changed.But most families haven’t. Cartels and criminal networks, equipped withhigh-speed internet, target American teens with ruthless precision. They are blackmailing our kids for money, for power, for psychological control. And the consequences are catastrophic. In just the past few years, more than 40+ bright, successful, promising young people, most of them boys, have takentheir own lives after falling victim to financial sextortion. Forty families shattered.Forty futures stolen.Forty tragedies that didn’t have to happen. Please—listen to this podcast.Educate yourself.Learn how these crimes unfold in real time.Learn what signs to look for.Learn how to prepare the young people in your life before they are targeted. Silence won’t protect our kids. Awareness will. This is not “just another podcast.”This is a warning.A wake-up call.A lifeline. And it could save a life you love.

    38 min

  8. 12/02/2025

    Protect & Prevent - NEVER AGAIN Should We Lose Another Child to Sextortion

    (The podcast may contain sensitive topics. Listener discretion is advised.) This is a very important podcast and one that every parent, teacher, coach, and faith-based leader should hear. Yes. It happened again. In November, a West Virginia 15-year old teen boy took his own life after becoming the latest victim of a sextortion scam. Are we ready to say NEVER AGAIN should we lose a brilliant young person to sextortion because they didn't know. Because their parents didn't know. Because their pastor didn't know. Because their teacher didn't know. Because everyone wants to believe "it would never happen to my child." THIS IS FOR EVERY PARENT, GRANDPARENT, TEACHER, PASTOR, YOUTH MINISTER, SPORTS COACH, CIVIC LEADER AND ANYONE WHO IS INVOLVED WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. Education and a conversation can make a difference. We take a look at the devastating impact of sextortion on young people and it is time for us all to say NEVER AGAIN. Are you ready to step up and help us get the message out there to parents, teachers, coaches and the faith-based community?

    29 min
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About

The global authority on news, trends, technology and the impact on human exploitation and trafficking.

Information

  • Creator
    Million Kids
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    238
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Million Kids
  • Show Website
    MillionKids.org