Police continue to be made aware of an increasing number of so-called “sextortion” crimes recently, with more and more social media users falling victim to this unpleasant type of scam.
These usually involve the victim being enticed to send nude or explicit photos or videos to someone who has befriended them online, then being blackmailed into sending money (or in some incidents, gift cards) to prevent them being distributed to people they know.
Detective Sergeant Oliver Healy from Gayfield Police CID said: “The perpetrator’s aim is to build trust and convince the victim that they are interested in becoming involved in an online sexual interaction with them which often takes place via a video chat platforms initiated by the perpetrator.
“During the video chat, the perpetrator will persuade the victim to expose themselves which they record without the victim’s knowledge. This will be followed up by a demand for money from the victim and the threat of sharing the recordings with their friends and family.
“We would ask people to consider what they share and who they share it with. They should, ideally, only share pictures online that they are happy with their friends, family and others seeing. Switching communication from one platform to another is a tactic used during these scams to gain as much information about a victim.
“The simplest way to avoid falling victim is to refrain from accepting friend requests from people you don’t know.
“If you find yourself being blackmailed or extorted in this way, contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency. You will be given support and your report will be taken in utmost confidence.”
Further information on keeping safe online can be found on the website – http://ow.ly/yT4C50GmHjz
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