Momo Challenge Deaths: Has Anyone Died from the Disturbing ‘Game’?

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Now that the Momo Challenge is going viral again, it’s important to revisit if anyone has actually died from the game. So far, there have been hints that some suicides or deaths may have been a result of the game, but in some cases the connections are not solid. However, at least two people who committed suicide reportedly had Momo texts on their phones. So far no deaths have been reported in the United States from the challenge. Here are the details.


A 12-Year-Old’s Death in Argentina Might Be Connected

Authorities in Argentina issued a warning to parents after a teen’s death was possibly linked to Momo in 2018. The 12-year-old girl committed suicide in the district of Escobar, Fox News reported.

She committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree in her family’s back yard and filmed her activities on her phone just before her death, The Buenos Aires Times reported. Authorities think that someone encouraged her to take her life, and were investigating an 18-year-old that she may have met on social media.

A police statement read: “(Her) 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 they believe she intended “to upload the video (of her suicide) to social media as part of a challenge crediting the Momo game.”

Authorities later suspected that a 13-year-old boy had killed himself after playing the game in Caleta Olivia. They couldn’t confirm the suspicion, however.


Texts Connected to the Game Were Found on Two Teens’ Phones in Colombia After They Committed Suicide

Two adolescents in Barbosa, Colombia died in a case that might have been connected with Momo in September 2018, CBN reported. Authorities, however, couldn’t confirm the connection.  Local media reported that a 16-year-old boy and 12-year-old girl in Barbosa committed suicide after participating in the game. Local media said the boy sent the challenge to the girl before he killed himself. She hanged herself two days later.

Authorities who checked their phones found texts linked to the Momo Challenge, Fox News reported. Officials said they found the game in WhatsApp and were following challenges that ended in suicide.


Several Deaths in India Might Have Been Connected

A number of deaths in India might have been connected to the challenge, but others were confirmed to not be connected. In August 2018, West Bengal authorities said that two teens who died were not connected to the game. They said there was no evidence of any connection. They said most cases in India were just viral pranks and hoaxes.

However, CBN reported that an 18-year-old’s death in 2018 was suspected to be connected to the Momo Challenge. Manish Sarki was found dead, hanging in a shed with the words  Illuminati, hanged man and devil’s one eye written on a wall in the shed. His cousin said she saw some of those same words and a drawing he had painted in the Momo app.

And Nexter.org reported that Aditi Goyal (26), who died the day after Manish, might have been connected to the challenge.

Chhavi Sharma, 15, might have also killed herself as part of the challenge on July 31. Her brother said her death was because of the challenge.


A 15-Year-Old Was Threatened with Death, Her Parents Said

She didn’t die, but a 15-year-old’s parents said their daughter was threatened with death by the Momo Challenge, Diario Popular reported in 2018. The father, from Neuquen, alerted law enforcement about the concern. His daughter had gotten a message from a Japanese number connected with the challenge and it included a photo of a dead person. Another message sent her details about her home, her family and friends. It threatened that she would die if she didn’t respond.

An 11-year-old boy’s death in Zapala might also be connected to the game, Diario Popular reported, but authorities later ruled out that possible connection.

You can learn more about the Peppa Pig videos here or the origins of the disturbing Momo photo here.

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