POTSDAM â A family whose teenage son died by suicide after being extorted online is now facing a second predator who is attempting to profit off their late loved one by making what appears to be a fraudulent GoFundMe account in his name.
Darren E. Basford is talking with state police this week about another online exploitation against his son. Riley K. Basford, who was 15 years old, died by suicide Tuesday, March 30, at his fatherâs home in Potsdam. Riley died after he was extorted by a Facebook user posing as a woman. The user demanded $3,500 or they would share intimate photos Riley had sent them. His family said the threats came in just hours before he died, underscoring the sudden panic and helplessness their beloved child must have felt.