Sinister ‘Momo suicide challenge‘ Game is Spreading Through Whatsapp – Have you heard of Momo? You may have even heard from ‘her’.The disturbing WhatsApp-based “challenge” has been linked to the suicide of a 12-year-old girl in Argentina. BA Times reports the girl filmed the activities leading to her death, with police now examining data on her phone.”
The phone has been hacked to find footage and WhatsApp chats, and now the alleged adolescent with whom she exchanged those messages is being sought,” police said in a statement, according to British publication The Mirror. The online “game” has been likened to other “legends” such as Blue Whale, reportedly linked to teenage deaths in Russia, and Slenderman.
Sinister ‘Momo suicide challenge’ Game
“Momo” is a viral challenge that asks people to add a contact via WhatsApp – they are then urged to commit self-harm or suicide. The “game” has fueled comparisons to the sinister “Blue Whale challenge” that led to reports of suicides in Russia and the U.S, as well as the online fictional character of “Slender Man.” In 2014 two 12-year-old girls in Wisconsin attempted to kill a classmate in an attempt to please the horror character.
In the last few weeks, WhatsApp users have claimed to have been contacted by an unknown phone number with the image of Momo, a young woman with bulging eyes.The Momo account, according to reports, has sent disturbing and abusive messages to recipients, instructing them to follow “orders”.
What is Sinister ‘Momo suicide challenge’ Game
- Momo challenge has been reported in Argentina, Mexico, US, France, Germany
- Users are challenged to contact ‘Momo,’ sent frightening messages and images
- Face of Momo is image of grotesque woman, taken from work of Japanese artist
- Authorities in Buenos Aires say it may be linked to suicide of a 12-year-old girl
- It’s drawn parallels to the Blue Whale challenge that terrorized Russia last year
“In social networks, the image of a terrifying woman is circulating,” add investigators, in a statement. “They call her ‘Momo’ and she invites those who see her to write to her through WhatsApp.”
“Momo” threatens to appear in the night or lay a curse on the users if they do not respond, according to Mexican police. Criminals can use the “game” to steal personal information or even incite users to commit suicide or violence, investigators add.
The creepy “Momo” image was taken from an Instagram account and then circulated on WhatsApp, according to police.
“WhatsApp cares deeply about the safety of our users,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said, in a statement emailed to Fox News. “It’s easy to block any phone number and we encourage users to report problematic messages to us so we can take action.”
Talk of creepy interactions with Momo accounts has since sparked a viral challenge on Facebook, where participants challenge others to communicate with Momo’s phone numbers. The challenge has since taken off worldwide. The creepy Momo avatar is said to be traced to a sculpture created by Japanese special effects company.
Meme database Know Your Meme traces Momo back to Instagram photos of the sculpture uploaded in August 2016.Two years later, in July 2018, an edited version the Instagram photo was shared to Reddit. This version looks a lot scarier than the original.
A day later, a popular YouTuber featured the Momo urban legend in an attempt to explain why talk about the image and phone numbers associated with it were spreading so quickly online.
Question: What is the Momo challenge?
Answer: “Momo” is apparently spreading on the popular WhatsApp platform. People are urged to add a contact on the app, then it is suggested they cause self-harm, or to even die by suicide, according to Fox News. A frightening image of a woman with bulging eyeballs and a large smile is used as the challenge’s avatar, according to Newsweek.
Q: Are people following through on the request to commit these acts?
A: There have not been reports in the U.S. of anyone taking their own lives as part of Momo, though authorities are investigating a 12-year-old Argentina girl’s suicide in relation to the game. The girl filmed her activities leading up to the moment she died, according to the Buenos Aires Times. Authorities believe she was encouraged to do it.
Q. Is “Momo” a new challenge?
A. It is spreading currently, according to some media outlets. It is being compared to a previous challenge called “Blue Whale”, which is blamed in a couple deaths that happened in Russia and the U.S. It is also blamed for the creation of “Slender Man,” which is a fictional character that is said to have influenced two 12-year-old girls suspected of attempting to kill a classmate.
Q. Is anything being done to stop “Momo” from spreading?
A. Yes. Alerts are being issued, media is publishing information, and police are investigating reports involving the game and WhatsApp.
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