OPP, experts issue warning around rise in 'sextortion' scam incidents - Action News
Home WebMail Thursday, November 14, 2024, 04:30 PM | Calgary | 6.6°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
London

OPP, experts issue warning around rise in 'sextortion' scam incidents

Police are warning the public after an 18-year-old in Middlesex County was scammed out of $4,000 after images were captured during an intimate online chat.

In a recent case, an 18-year-old in Middlesex County was scammed out of $4,000

Sextortion scams are on the rise, with younger males reported to be the most victimized according to experts with cybertip.ca. (Reuters)

Provincial police and online experts are warning the public about intimate encounters online after a teen was victimized in Middlesex County.

Middlesex OPP said an 18-year-old recently met someone on a social media app and engaged in an intimate conversation. The victim was then threatened that their images would be shared with family and friendsif they didn't send $4,000.

The so-called "sextortion" scam happened not because the teen shared intimate photos, but because they were made to believe intimate images of them were captured from the phone they were using while engaged in conversation.

Police say the teen sent the money out of fear and theinvestigationinto the case is ongoing.

According to one online expert, sextortion cases like this are on the rise in Canada.

"In July,we received reports related to 322 incidents of sextortion in comparison to July of last year where we had 85," said Catherine Taback,a program manager with cybertip.ca.

Taback says the majority of incidents involve younger males.

"They're more commonly known in our space to be more impulsive anddo more of that sexual exploration online," she said."And so that makes them a little bit more vulnerable to these types of crimes."

Police are urging everyone who is engaging in intimate connections onlineto think twice before sharing any personal or sexually explicit imagesand to reach out for help if someone issues threats.

Police are urging anyone who is avictim of a sextortion scam call themat 1-888-310-1122 or the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center at1-888-495-8501.

Add some good to your morning and evening.

Start the day smarter. Get the CBC News Morning Brief, the essential news you need delivered to your inbox.

...

The next issue of CBC News Morning Brief will soon be in your inbox.

Discover all CBC newsletters in theSubscription Centre.opens new window

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Google Terms of Service apply.