PETERBOROUGH-Peterborough County OPP is warning area residents of an extortion scam that has recently seen a large increase in incidents reported to police.
The suspect(s), utilizing fake profiles on social media and dating sites, will invite the victim(s) to participate in casual online conversations. The chat then becomes sexual and the victim is asked to send sexually explicit photographs of themselves. Once the photos are received, the suspect will demand a sum of money or they will expose the explicit photos to the victim’s friends, family and co-workers online.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre is also reporting an increase in the number of cases of, what they are calling, “sextortion”.
Police encourage victims of this type of exploitation or similar crimes to report the incident. More information on internet safety can be found online by visiting:
• opp.ca
• cybertip.ca
If you have information about suspected unlawful activity, please visit Crime Stoppers at: stopcrimehere.ca or call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
