A 12-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy reportedly killed themselves after playing Momo ‘suicide challenge’ game that is being shared on WhatsApp. Their deaths occurred within 48 hours of each other in Barbosa, in the north west Colombian area of Santander. Police say they believe the pair – who are yet to be officially named – died after taking part in the disturbing new online ‘suicide game’ Momo.
Local media report that the body of the 16-year-old boy was found first and that it is believed he knew the 12-year-old girl. Police believe he passed the game onto her before his death, it was reported. The girl was found hanged two days later by relatives.
The ‘game’ involves adding a phone number said to belong to ‘Momo’ – which uses a picture of a terrifying face on its profile – who then sends a series of challenges and threats ending with a demand that the player commits suicide. The Momo account reportedly sends violent images to the victim over WhatsApp and threatens them if they refuse to follow the game’s orders. It is believed the game originated in a Facebook group and is now spreading around via the messaging app.
The mobile phones of the girl and boy have been seized by police, who say they found messages linked with the game.
‘The game has different challenges and the suicide is at the end.’ These are the first deaths linked with Momo in Colombia and now authorities are working with schools to warn youngsters against playing. They say that criminals take advantage of the game for; stealing personal information, inciting suicide or violence, bullying & harassment, extortion and causing psychological and physical disorders, including: anxiety, depression and insomnia.
The game has been likened to Blue Whale, another dangerous social media ‘game’ which was linked to at least 130 teen deaths across Russia. Youngsters were encouraged to undertake daily tasks including self-harming, watching horror films and waking up at unusual hours. The tasks escalate over time until the 50th day when players are told to kill themselves. Authorities say Momo is spreading across south America, with investigators finding original messages registered to phone numbers located in Colombia and Mexico.