York Regional Police are warning residents not to be lured by the growing number of so-called sextortion scams on social media.
The online extortion scam begins when the victim is contacted on a social media platform from unknown suspects posing as women, York police said. After some chatting back and forth, the suspects persuade the victim to continue the conversation in a private video chat room, remove their clothes and perform a sex act on themselves. The suspects record and then threaten the victim with the release of the personal and intimate material to family and friends by email and social media if they do not send money by wire transfer.
“In this investigation, all of the victims are male and some of the victims have lost money,” said Const. Laura Nicolle. “Getting the reports is a big part of this investigation. We know it’s difficult to face some of the issues. It’s a sensitive matter and we’re aware of that. We take it seriously and your privacy is important.”
Multiple reports have been received from citizens across the region, but York’s investigators believe there may be other victims who have not come forward due to embarrassment.The local cases are believed to be part of a worldwide extortion scam, police said.
The RCMP in Burnaby, BC also issued a public alert Aug. 29 after investigating 24 incidents of sextortion since May. In some of those cases, the victims had also transferred money to the suspects.
Here are some tips from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre to protect yourself online:
- Deny any requests to perform an illicit act over the internet.
- Disable your webcam or any other camera connected to the internet when you are not using it. Hackers are able to obtain remote access and record.
- Carefully consider before sharing explicit videos and photographs.
Additionally, York Regional Police offer this advice:
- Watch out for messages from strangers via email or social networking sites and never click on any links in these messages. Remember, not everyone is who they say they are on the internet.
- If a situation feels suspicious, trust your instincts. Do not be talked into providing photos, video, personal information or payments by methods with which you are unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
- Call back companies or agencies to verify information.
If you have been a victim of this scam and would like to report it to police, call 1-866-876-5423, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-tips, or leave an anonymous tip online at 1800222tips.com
