Main image via Instagram/@nanaakooo
In recent weeks, a disturbing internet challenge has been going viral around the world, encouraging children to take their own life.
The Momo Challenge as it’s called, starts by asking the user to add and contact someone called Momo. Then they send a barrage of frightening images and violent messages encouraging violence, and even suicide.
Read on to learn more about the Momo Challenge
#1 THE CHALLENGE BEGINS WHEN PEOPLE CONTACT A MOMO WHATSAPP PROFILE
Once contacted, Momo then will threaten to appear at night or curse people who don’t respond to her messages.
The “game” sets objectives for users and may coerce them into following the objectives after gaining access to personal information. The series of photos (or challenges) Momo sends may actually be steps towards comitting suicide, such as sending a photo of someone tying a sheet around their neck.
#2 USERS MAY BE THREATENED INTO OBEYING TASKS OR HURTING THEMSELVES
Sometimes users are convinced to harm themselves or else their private information will be shared publicly. Other times, the app may threaten to hurt people they love.
The messages can be so frightening that young teens may feel like they have to respond.
#3 THE WHATSAPP MOMO PROFILE PHOTO IS A CROPPED IMAGE OF A BIRD-WOMAN SCULPTURE THAT WAS CREATED BY LINK FACTORY, A JAPANESE SPECIAL EFFECTS COMPANY.
There have been reports that the scultpure was designed by Japanese artist Midori Hayashi, but Hayashi has said on Facebook that the Momo bird is not her bird
The Momo Challenge is not associated with Hayashi or Link Factory
#4 THE CHALLENGE MAY HAVE ORIGINATED IN JAPAN OR IN A FACEBOOK GROUP. IT IS VERY POPULAR IN SPANISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES.
Currently, it is not apparent where the challenge originated. The game has been reported in Mexico, Argentina, the U.S, France, and Germany.
On a month old Reddit discussion, Redditor arlidem explained some of the background stories to the suicide challenge.
“Apparently a boy chatted with Momo via whatsapp (with the real number from Japan) and ‘she’ answered in spanish. Momo sent messages refering to his little sister’s doll. How did she know about the sister? And here is where people started to presume Momo can obtain your personal information using your phone number and doxxing you. But here comes the creepy part and, to me, the most horrifying. Momo “apparently” sent several images of mutilated kids. I quoted apparently because all the images are blurred, so you can’t tell if they are real or not. So i started to search everywhere I could for chats with Momo, looking for gore images but I found nothing. I’m not thinking of chatting with Momo myself because I’m afraid of getting my personal information compromised. Personally I think the gore images part is fake. Otherwise, someone would have already leaked such images, succesfully obtained from Momo, making this go even more viral than now.”
Some redditors believe Momo is about acquiring personal information and perhaps installing spyware. Redditor jul10bcn wrote:
“A student of mine did this yesterday and after receiving some gore images, insults and dead threats through WhatsApp she covered her face with her hand while holding her phone and she immediately received a message saying ‘stop covering your face with your hands.’ So this proves to me that they have installed spyware on her phone.”
#5 AT LEAST ONE SUICIDE MAY BE CONNECTED TO MOMO, POSSIBLY MORE.
Authorities in Argentina issued a warning to parents after a teen’s death was possibly linked to Momo. A 12-year-old girl committed suicide in the district of Escobar, in the town of Ingeniero Maschwitz by hanging herself from a tree in her family’s back yard. She filmed her activities on her phone just before commiting suicide.
Info via Heavy and ABC News
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