Norfolk County DA Warns Local Schools of Ongoing Facebook Fraud

Parents, educators and local police should be wary of students falling into a Facebook trap by someone who created a fake profile posing as a teenage girl, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a letter received by local school districts.

An area student – Morrissey did not specify which town – recently friended someone appearing on Facebook as "Sarah John," whose photo made her appear to be a teenager and who has yet to be identified.

"After a few months as a passive friend, this Sarah John initiated conversations that led to the student sharing personal information," Morrissey wrote in the letter. "Sarah John is now trying to extort money from the student and has threatened to make this very personal information public online."

The person has also friended other area high school students, Morrissey said, most likely from outside the United States. The DA's office is encouraging the following actions:

• Have a conversation with your student about online safety
• If your students use Facebook or other social networking sites, please remind them not to accept friend requests from people they do not know
• Have parents check the Facebook account. If this Sarah John has friended their child or contacted them, please make sure they unfriend her and block her
• If something disturbing should appear from Sarah John or someone else, please contact your local police
• Parents should continue to monitor their child's use of social networking sites