Kids, parents warned over ‘Momo’ game
dubai — After Blue Whale, another deadly suicide game ‘Momo’, which is doing the rounds online and being shared widely on WhatsApp, is tempting young children. Considering the inherent threat involved in the game, the Dubai Police have warned UAE residents to stay away from it and be wary of the consequences — legal and otherwise — of playing ‘Momo’.
The police have also urged parents to monitor their school-going children and immediately report any malicious programmes they encounter on the Internet by calling the number 901. The department has cautioned kids not to open any link that appears with strange popped-up pictures and avoid chatting with strangers on messaging apps.
The police said parents should talk to their children and tell them the negative fallout of playing ‘Momo’. The game involves adding a phone number presumably belonging to ‘Momo’ — who
uses a terrifying face on the profile and then sends a series of challenges and threats which end with a demand to the player to commit suicide. ‘Momo’ passes on violent images to the victims over WhatsApp and threatens them if they refuse to follow the instructions sent out by it.
The game reportedly originated in a Facebook group and is now spreading via WhatsApp. Players are apparently given challenges by ‘Momo’ which escalate, and finally result in them being driven to take their own lives.
Schools and parents should warn youngsters against playing it, the police said. The criminals take advantage through the game to steal the player’s personal information, while inciting violence, bullying, harassment, extortion and causing psychological as well as physical disorders, including anxiety, depression and insomnia.