Explicit Photos sent to Unknown Person
Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are investigating an extortion after a Brant County resident reported explicit pictures were shared with family members online.
Saturday August 13, 2022, a Brant OPP responded to a reported online extortion. It was determined the victim had conversations with an unknown person posing as a female through a popular social media platform. The victim sent explicit photos to the person who then threatened to distribute the photos unless the victim sent money. The photos were sent to a family member of the victim. The investigation is ongoing.
The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre continues to receive reports of victims who have been convinced to take explicit pictures or perform intimate acts in front of their device’s camera and threaten to release images or video unless paid.
Scammers create fake profiles on social media and pornographic and dating websites. They use these profiles to lure you into a relationship and coerce you into taking intimate pictures or performing sexual acts on camera.
The scammer records the session and threatens to send the image or video to other people unless you pay or provide more sexual content.
How to protect yourself
- Recognize that live streaming can be recorded, and that pre-recorded video can be livestreamed
- Familiarize yourself with social media privacy settings and consider limiting who has access to your personal information (i.e., friends list, location)
- Understand that unless you know the person offline, there is no way to confirm who is on the other end
- Trust your instincts, be skeptical and cautious
- Never send money to someone you haven’t met
To learn more about online frauds, go to https://antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca/
