New Delhi: The social media accounts operating the Momo challenge are connected with three numbers in Japan, Mexico and Colombia and far-off Latin American islands, an advisory letter sent by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to chief secretaries of all states and union territories has stated.
Accessed by Millennium Post, the advisory – aimed at protecting children from the suicidal game – stated that 'Momo' is a social media account on WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube, and the image used for the Momo game has been adopted from the work of a Japanese artist who has no connection at all to the game.
"As per reports published, sometimes the account challenges users to communicate with an unknown number and complete a series of violent acts, that ultimately end in death," the advisory stated.
"If one refuses to follow the game's orders, he or she is sent threatening and disturbing images. Sometimes, the threat given is that of corrupting social media accounts of the victims and to label fake allegations against him or her," the letter further said.
The advisory further notes that the Momo account seems to be connected to three numbers in Japan, Mexico and Columbia, as well as a number of smaller islands on both sides of Latin America.
An official of NCPCR said, "The advisory was given by the central government. We are sending them to all DGPs and secretaries of the education department of all states and union territories."
The child rights body had requested concerned state departments and ministries in the central government to take immediate preventive steps to stop the spread of the game in India. Subsequently, the Ministry of Electronic and Information Technology issued the advisory and a copy of the
letter was sent to all the
child rights body of states, requesting to ensure awareness on the subject.