Police in the U.K. are warning parents about online videos that direct children to harm themselves and threaten them with severe consequences if their instructions are not followed.
The warning was issued Monday by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which said it was working with other U.K. policing agencies to determine “the extent of the problem” posed by the Momo Challenge.
The challenge, as described by the PSNI, involves messages being hidden in seemingly child-friendly games and videos. The messages urge children to contact “Momo” via Snapchat, WhatsApp or another popular messaging program.
One PSNI officer reported seeing a Momo Challenge video from the U.S. in which a “creepy” voice urged children to “take a knife to their own throat.”
The officer wrote that while the Momo Challenge was prompting this alert, any sort of online interaction in which children feel pressured into performing actions for a stranger represents potential danger.
“Don’t focus only on Momo, but make sure you know what your child has online access to,” the officer wrote.
The Canada Safety Council provides advice for how children can stay safe online, suggesting that they talk to their parents before giving out any personal information and alert an adult if anything they see makes them feel uncomfortable.