Momo, a disturbing online video 'challenge' has brought two south Auckland tamariki to tears. The challenge involves an animated character who pressures children to hurt themselves or threatens to hurt loved ones.
Auckland mother Khmara Ashby was absolutely devastated when her children broke down over a video challenge that terrified her tamariki.
"I asked them, who's Momo?" said the mother of two.
"My son just grabbed my hand and said get Dad to bring his digger please. Get him to move our house, pick up our house and move our house. We have to get our of here. Momo is gonna find us and she's gonna kill us all."
Ashby's son came across the video character through school friends hanging out at lunchtime watching Fortnite Youtube videos.
"It was a 28 minutes and about half way through about the 12 - 14 minute mark, that's when Momo appeared.
She says the clip started out with a chant. "Momo... and the boys all of them 12-13 were like, 'What?' They started watching it and that when the threat came," describes Ashby.
Now she wants to warn other parents: "Just let your child know that its ok to speak up. Let them know its ok to speak up about anything. As a parent our purpose is to protect and love our child. Keep an eye on them and what they watch."
NZ Police and Netsafe are warning parents to immediately report it to the social media site or the website where it's found.
"We've had very few reports here in New Zealand and generally its from parents concerned about kids seeing content and being scared by what they've seen. Certainly its been reported in other countries," says Netsafe spokesman Sean Lyon.
Ashby says she'll be more viligent when monitoring her children's online exposure.