People are being warned not to fall victim to cyber-blackmailers operating a sextortion scam.
It comes after Staffordshire Police said a teenage boy in the county had received social media messages from a fraudster threatening to share an explicit image with the victim’s friends and family if he didn’t hand over £500.
PC Nina Lovatt said it was important people took steps to minimise the risk they may face.
“Sextortion is sadly a fast growing crime trend – a lot of the people we visit who have fallen victim to this are younger adults. In most cases it causes them extreme stress and anxiety. Some have even expressed suicidal thoughts as a result.
“Criminals often target their victims through dating apps, social media, webcams or pornography sites. They may use a fake identity to befriend people online and then threaten to send images to their family and friends.
“We would encourage social media users to make their accounts private, not to accept messages from people they don’t know and always ensure they know who they are talking to online.
“Also, don’t be afraid to ask someone to confirm who they are and never feel pressured into doing something; whether this is of a sexual nature or something that could identify personal details.”
PC Nina Lovatt, Staffordshire Police
People say those targeted by sextortion attempts should not pay and should take screenshots and save messages and images before reporting it to the relevant platform and their internet provider.
