After the Blue Whale scare, attention turns to The Momo Challenge: the dangerous 'suicide game' doing the rounds on Whatsapp. Know what your kids are exposed to.

Believed to be the reason behind a 12 year old girl in Argentina taking her own life, The Momo Challenge, a dangerous and deadly game, is currently gaining momentum on Whatsapp. According to the Argentinian media, the 12-year-old girl was found hanging from a tree on July 29, 2018. It has been suggested that she committed suicide "at the request of a Whatsapp account linked to the Momo Challenge".

Almost a year after the similarly themed Blue Whale Challenge, which allegedly led to a number of teenage suicides, this new wave of viral challenge is a notable threat to children the world over.

It has already been reported in several countries, including Germany, France, Spain, the United States, Mexico and Argentina, that the Momo Challenge is being undertaken and shared by those that are the most impressionable and the least cautious: teenagers.

The challenge is simple and inauspicious at the start, the ‘player’ is simply prompted to add a phone number via Whatsapp in an effort to ‘meet’ Momo. The response is immediate with an unknown person sending a picture of a distorted face intended to terrify the user. Then comes the fateful question: "Do you want to continue playing with me?"

Violent images and threats

Even if the user declines to continue the communication at this stage, Momo sends further violent images and threatens the player if they refuse to follow their orders.

Many kids will forward these images to their friends and peers and the game spreads virally before significantly ramping up the pressure, fear and consequence of the ‘challenges’. These challenges are thought to include a series of violent acts such as harming others and self-harm before culminating with the final challenge on the 50th day…that of suicide.

RTL

Those who have interacted with ‘Momo’ have claimed their interactions included being sent violent images during the night and unknown person(s) threatening to appear while they are sleeping and curse them or harm them. There have been claims that some players even received terrifying phone calls where all they could hear were screams and other creepy noises.

Authorities have released warnings discouraging people from adding the creepy figure on any social media platform.

The avatar used for Momo is a haunting image of a woman with grotesque feature and bulging eyes.

This avatar is taken from the designs of one of the fictitious characters designed by Japanese artist Midori Hayashi who was quick to distance himself from the sickening game.

The Momo challenge in Luxembourg

An RTL reader and mother from Oberkorn has informed us that the challenge has also reached Luxembourg, not via Whatsapp but via Youtube.

She said that her daughter contacted the number she found online and that her nine year old son also found the disturbing image which led him to the Whatsapp contact.

She immediately contacted the police after finding out that her children had been in contact with the challenge.

RTL has contacted the Luxembourg police for more information about this worrying trend on Thursday morning, but we have not heard back yet.

How to Safeguard Your Child

  • Children are easily deceived, parents should keep a vigil and constant eye on their habits and behavior, especially any drastic changes: withdrawal, lack of appetite,
  • Try and speak to your child about these games,  discuss that the dangers outweigh peer pressure and 'cool factor', that these games are not real and do not have to be completed.
  • Keep a close eye on the gadgets and especially over messaging apps.
  • Try and delete numbers which are unknown and suspicious.
  • Explore privacy settings on WhatsApp to restrict from showing your number and details to others who are not added in your phone-book
  • Involve yourself with the child in daily routines, know what your kids are exposed to.