Members of the Peterborough County Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning area residents of an extortion scam that has surfaced in the area. The most recent case was reported to police last week.
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 and co-workers online.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and police are 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
· getcybersafe.gc.ca
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
